The Music
by emackenzie
Summary: Jude never won Instant Star, but that doesn't mean her music isn't worthy of hearing. ON BREAK as of 11/25/12
1. Freezing Music

So I've been holding out on everyone. This idea came to me after watching a few of the mini's and seeing that most of the stories that went along with this story line never got finished, or didn't really follow the show. So I had to do something about that. If you haven't seen the mini, I highly recommend youtubing it! And I know that this isn't my best work. I have written the opening to this story five different times, always starting from a different spot, working through this is hard. But it's a new month, and we're all in need of something good to read. Let me know what you think!

* * *

><p>"Thank you! Thank you! We are Jude and the Mind Explosion, donations was expected." Spiederman laughed as the crowd of people around them clapped, many of them going on about their day, they had seen it after every song, people walking away, some stopping to give them loose change.<p>

Jude smiled, watched the people as they look their leave from the street corner performance. They had no other choice, they needed the extra money this month, and it was the only way to get their music out there. "Thank you." She smiled at a lady who dropped some change into the guitar case.

"Red, my ass is frozen to the seat, I can't stay out here much longer." Kyle, her drummer announced.

"He's got a point dude, it's freezing." Speid said, blowing into his hands just like he had when Jude had shown up. "But that was fun." He laughed, and Jude agreed.

Their performance was fun, it always was with them. At first she had been worried because no one seemed to stop to listen, they all continued about their business. But the moment she saw the lady I the crowd swaying to the music, she knew they were good. The first song they had played was one of her favorites, The Music. It was about her love of music, and how she could do anything as long as she had her music.

"Yeah, she had fun eye screwing that guy." Wally laughed.

"Excuse me!" Jude shouted, turning around to look at him. She knew who he was referring too. There had been someone that had stopped for a short while. But he had a girl hanging off his arm, and not any girl. Jude recognized her as the newest Instant Star winner, Karma.

"Baseball cap." Wally laughed. "I saw those smiles."

"I think the cold is starting to mess with you head, there were no smiles." Jude laughed, collecting the money from her guitar case, while the boys put their things away.

"How'd we do?" Speid, her lead guitar player, ex boyfriend, and most trusted friend, asked leaning down next to her.

"Enough to pay the heat." Jude laughed, breathing into her scarf, hoping to warm her face some.

"Well, that's a start. Like you said, this is just the beginning." He couldn't help but tease her.

"Ha ha." She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm serious when I say that Speid, and sooner or later you're going to realize that. Right now we might be playing street corners, and freezing to death in 620, and living off our sucky playing jobs. But we're going to get heard, you just have to have some faith."

"Oh I have faith," he said taking her guitar case as they started to walk down the street. "Faith that you're going to make us all a hot cup of coffee, and warm up my fingers."

Jude wanted to hit him. He could be such a kid sometimes, and it drove her crazy, especially when it came to their music. This wasn't just about her, it hadn't been since they had formed the band, it was about all of them, Wally, Kyle, Speid and her. It was their futures, their dreams, but he seemed to act like it was a game most of the time.

"Don't worry Harrison, I believe." He whispered when she didn't say anything back. "But I was serious about that coffee."

Jude smiled over at him. "Well I guess you're in luck, I know just the place, and just the girl to make the coffee." The group of them headed a few blocks down to the coffee shop that she worked in, the one her dad said she partially ran, something Jude knew to be true. She had worked there since she was 16 years old, and now at the age of 19 she knew more about coffee than even the owners. But other than her music, coffee was the only other thing that Jude loved. A perfect cup of coffee could change her whole day, just like the perfect song. To her music and coffee went together like peanut butter and jelly.

"You think Jamie will have any luck?" Wally asked, as they entered the warm shop.

"I don't know, we have to hope for the best." Jude said as they all took their seat at the table they could often to found at.

"How was the show guys?" Tristan, the owner asked as Jude joined him behind the counter. He was an older gentleman, in his later fifties, but he didn't appear or act that way. He, like Jude's dad, support their musical dreams.

"Not too bad, just cold." Jude smiled at him as she went to work on four coffees.

"Did you make enough to pay off your coffee tab?" he joked looking at the boys.

"You think the misses lets us anywhere near that money?" Speid asked. "She's got it under lock and key."

"Actually it's in her pocket." Wally said pointing to the jean jacket she had draped over a chair.

Tristan laughed patting Jude on the back, seeing what it was she had to deal with day and night. "Close up tonight, you can leave early if it's not too busy."

"Will do." Jude said, watching as her boss took his leave.

"That works perfect." Kyle announced, looking up from his phone. "I just got word from Igg, the Chain is happening tonight."

The Chair was a rough bar/club the boys liked to visit, it wasn't really Jude's scene, but she did often tag along, just so she wouldn't be alone in the apartment. It hadn't proven to be as bad as it looked though. She had made a few friends there, and found a tougher side herself. Patsy Sewer was one of the few girls that Jude actually hung around with.

"Here you go." Jude said setting the cups down. She knew now she was going to need the caffeine to get through the night.

"You're a goddess." Speid said smelling the sweet, warm coffee, holding the cup as though it was his life line.

"Only for you." Jude teased. "So The Chain?" she asked.

"Yeah, you and Iggy's ex get along pretty well." Wally smiled. "What's her name again?"

"Crazy chick?" Kyle asked.

"Patsy, her name is Patsy." Jude laughed at the two. She knew that Patsy was crazy, she had more guts and courage than Jude ever could.

"Maybe I should hold onto this, if you're going to be hanging out with her." Speid said as he reached for the money in her pocket. "I might need it to bail you out."

"Ugh!" Jude slapped his hand away. "That was one time, and I didn't even do anything wrong."

"Right, spray painting sides of buildings is nothing." He joked with her.

This was the way her life was now. They would play a random real gig here or there, and always a street corner, anything to get heard. She would spend her days and nights with these boys, they were her family.


	2. Coffee Shop

This was the original first chapter. But for some reason I thought that it would be best to start off from where the mini had ended. I am not really sure if I like the way it starts out. I don't know. But I am trying to follow what would have happened in the show. And I think I explain a lot of it. If there are any questions let me know! And I'll be gone for the weekend car shopping, so if I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll update again on Sunday.

* * *

><p>Jude stood behind the coffee counted, staring back at the man that had just entered the shop. She was sure she had seen him before, and it took her a minute to figure out that he was the guy from the street corner performance. She knew that he was familiar in a strange way, like a dream. But she was sure he had never made a guest appearance in one of her dreams. It had taken her some time, and a little digging, but there was one name that keep popping into her head Little Tommy Q, and sure enough the pictures matched the face she had seen. She should have known without looking it up. Her sister Sadie had been so in love with him, and Jude had spent most of her high school years making fun of his so called musical career. But the way he had looked at her on the street, it was almost as though he knew her, like a past lover.<p>

But now, here she was, face to face with him again, only this time he didn't have the Instant Star Pop Queen Karma hanging on his arm. Instead now he looked frazzled, and exhausted. His styled hair looked as though he had been pulling at it, and his face showed the stress of a long day.

"What can I get you?" Jude asked. There was a part of her that I wanted to scream and ask for his autograph, a part she didn't even know was in her. But she held it back. He was a bandana wearing, shiny pants, booty shaker.

"The strongest cup you've got." He sighed, rubbing his chin as he studied the girl in front of him. "Do I know you?"

"Not that I know of." Jude laughed as she went to work on his coffee. "I don't think you've ever come in here."

It was the truth. G Major had coffee, but today he needed to be away from the studio, away from Eden and Karma. The stress of the pop princesses was too much for him to handle.

"No, not normally." Tommy laughed. Something about her was familiar, he was sure he had seen her somewhere. But she didn't seem freaked out by who he was, which was also not normal for him. Most woman turned to putty when he was around them.

"Do you like it sweet?" Jude asked, turning to look at him.

"Excuse me?" he had been lost in watching her.

"Your coffee." She gave him a strange look.

"It doesn't matter, I need the caffeine." He nodded.

"Thailand it is." She laughed.

"What?" he asked.

"They like their coffee strong, and with some ice, I think it's just what you need to take the edge off." Her laugh was almost musical.

He studied her as she made the drink. "Are you sure I don't know you?" he asked. He was sure he had heard that laugh somewhere before.

"I don't know." Jude smiled, placing a lid on the cup. "I guess in all reality you could. I am a Toronto native." She handed him the plastic cup. "That'll be $3.75."

"Thanks." He smiled, reaching for a straw and giving her a five, "Keep the change." He didn't wait to try it. He knew he only had a few more minutes before he was due back in the studio.

She watched as he made his way back out of the doors. "Enjoy your coffee."

"Was that?" her best friend said bouncing up to the counter, her frizzy black hair bouncing behind her.

"Little Tommy Q." Jude laughed.

"So much hotter in person." Kat laughed. "Like a Orlando Bloom sundae smothered in Johnny Depp sauce."

"I'm pretty sure I saw him last week." Jude said shaking her head.

"What? And you didn't tell me!" Kat nearly shrieked.

"It's not that big of a deal Kat, it was when we were playing outside the bookstore Wally works at." Jude laughed. The money they had made from playing that afternoon helped cover the cost of the heating bill in their rundown apartment on the other side of town. She had been too proud to go and ask her dad or Sadie for help.

"Umm yeah, that kind of is a big deal!" Kat said. "He's Little freaking Tommy Q! One of the hottest producers around! And I heard he's back working at G Major."

Four years ago she had tried out of this little local constant Instant Star, but her stage fright had been too much. She had made it to the final round, but found herself attached to a toilet, to scared to move. For the longest time in school she was known as the girl that had choked. But Jude had kept track of the contest over the years, and she knew that Tom Quincy had produced a song for the first Instant Star Eden. She was glad that she hadn't won after all, she took her music seriously, no booty shaking for her.

"I know." Jude said brushing it off. "He came here for coffee, okay?" She sighed. "Think about how pissed Saide is going to be when I tell her the love of her life just walked in here."

"You wouldn't dare tell her!" Kat laughed, "If you did her and those annoying 'sisters' of hers would never leave."

"That's true," Jude laughed.

Her life could have turned out so differently if she hadn't chickened out that day, if she would have been able to take the stage and beat Eden. But she didn't, and her life went on. She formed a band in high school, Jude and the Mind Explosion, all thanks to her neighbor and other best friend Jamie Andrews. He had helped put them together, her, Speiderman, Wally and Kyle. They were great together, like a family all in their own. And that was what she had needed in the years following the contest. Her parents had divorced after her father came clean about his affair, and her mother had taken off with her divorce lawyer, leaving Jude alone her senior year of high school. Her sister Sadie was living in her sorority house, and majoring in Business at the local university. Jude had wanted to go to college after high school, but instead she took that summer to travel the world, exploring music, and of course her other love, coffee. When she had come back to Toronto in September, her and her band had decided it was time to get more serious about their music. They were now playing at little clubs, and street corners, trying to be heard by the masses.


	3. Diva Fit

I love you guys! The review makes me smile, and I need that because sadly I came home in the same car after a long weekend of shopping. Car dealers sure know how to waste my time. So I won't waste anymore of your time.

* * *

><p>The coffee was good, and the girl had been right, it was exactly what he needed. It was just bitter enough, that it wasn't going to give him a sugar high, and the coldness of it seemed to lessen his stress, and wash away the melt down that had happened in the studio. He had only been back for a few weeks, and he could already remember why he had left, Eden hadn't changed at all over the years, and neither had her music. He had left G Major before Darius had taken over, and gotten a call from Kwest, asking for his help again. He had wanted to refuse, but he knew he couldn't say no to Kwest, not after everything he had done for him over the years.<p>

"Is the diva fit over?" Tommy asked, opening the door to studio A. His best friend and engineer, Kwest was sitting in the same seat he had left him in.

"Yeah, she's back to her normal Eden self." Kwest said rolling his eyes, a sign that her normal self was no better than her throwing a fit. "I swear I don't know why D puts up with her sometimes."

"Because she brings in the money, and she's engaged to Shay." Tommy laughed, taking another sip of his coffee, it was his little piece of heaven.

"You run away, and don't bring me back anything?" Kwest laughed.

"Sorry man, next time." Tommy laughed. He knew there would be a next time, it was a daily thing with Eden and Karma, he just hoped for the sake of the recorded, there were no more diva fits today. "So did we lay down anything we can use?"

"Yeah, we got some stuff, I started putting it together." Kwest told him, turning a few knobs until the music filled the room.

It sounded good, not great, but good. To Tommy it was the same thing over and over, all of her songs seemed to sound alike. But it sold, and that was all that mattered to their boss.

"I think we need to speed it up a little, make the guitar a little rougher." Tommy said nodding his head, "It's not bad though, you did a good job."

"Of course I did, I learn from the best." Kwest laughed clapping Tommy's shoulder.

"We need to find some new talent." Tommy sighed, looking out the window in to the lobby of G Major. The artist there were walking around all seemed like cook cutters to him, all too much alike. He knew that whatever made money was what Kwest's style.

"I can agree on that one," Kwest nodded. "There are a few coming up in IS that aren't too bad."

"No, I mean something real." Tommy sighed.

"Oh no, here we go again." Kwest laughed.

"What?" Tommy asked.

"You're going to start talking about that group you saw on the corner the other day, the blonde with the real voice." He shook his head. "If she was that good you would have stopped and waited, not ran off because Karma was done shopping."

"Have you ever tried to tell her no?" Tommy asked. It wasn't easy to tell his girlfriend no.

"No, but I'm not whipped either." Kwest laughed.

"I'm not whipped, no girl has whipped Tom Quincy." Tommy said standing up.

"Right." Kwest laughed.

"I am serious about that group though, I wish I knew their name, they were good." Tommy sighed, sinking back into his chair. That girls blue eyes were stuck in his head, and said was the sound of her voice.

"Start hitting up some of the clubs, you never know." Kwest sighed. "That might be the only way to get some new blood in here."

"Before we get any new blood, let's finish with the old blood first." Tommy rolled his eyes as he watched the fake blonde enter the recording booth. "Glad you're back Eden."

"Shove it Quincy." She snapped.

"And still a bitch." Tommy didn't bother to whisper or hide his mouth. He knew that Eden would be able to read his lips through the glass.


	4. Good News & Wet Socks

It was snowing out when Jude finally made it back to the apartment she shared with her band mates. It was a light snow, but enough that it chilled Jude to the bone, or maybe it was the fact that her socks were wet. She could hear the squishing sound in her shoes with every step she took. She shivered as she closed the door behind her, kicking off her boots right away, and peeling the wet socks from her feet. She smiled as fuzzy red slippers came flying her way, nodding at Kyle. Looking down at her shows, she knew they had seen better days, and wouldn't make it through the winter, maybe, if she was lucky she could hold out for Christmas.

When she had returned from her travels her father had offered to let her stay with him in the condo he bought after the divorce, but Jude knew that would be too much for her. Instead she found a place that wasn't too pricey, and somewhere they could play without having to worry about the neighbors. But they struggled to make rent every month, and keep up with all the other bills that came with the price of living away from home.

"Hey guys." Jude said, not taking her jacket off. She would wait until she warmed up more. The walk from the bus stop to the apartment was long.

"Harrison!" Spierdman shouted from the loft. "We've got news!" his voice was sing songy, and she knew he was excited about something.

"News?" Jude asked, looking around the large open room, and noticing her best friend Jamie seated on her bed, book in hand.

"Andrews booked us a gig." Wally said handing her something warm to drink.

"Really?" Jude asked, sitting down next to him, holding the cup close to her nose, feeling the steam warm her face.

"I had to do something, Speid got frost bite after you guys played outside last week." Jamie smiled looking up from his book. He had been so in love with the girl in front of him for years, he was baffled at why she never saw that.

"Hey, we needed that money." Jude protested. She knew that Jamie thought she was too hard on the band sometimes, pushing them to far, but she only did what she had to so they could get by.

"Well then take comfort in the $100 you'll make next week from playing somewhere warm." Jamie smiled.

"$100?" Jude asked, her face lighting up. That would be enough to fix Kyle's drum set or get the amp Wally wanted. "You're the best Jamie." Jude said hugging him quickly.

"Oh I know." Jamie laughed. He loved these moments when he was able to put his arms around Jude.

"Okay," Speiderman said throwing a crumpled up paper down at them. "Hands off the dude." He hid the hint of jealously behind the face he made.

Jude laughed and got off her bed, before joining Kyle on the couch. She looked up at Speid, him hanging half off his bed, guitar laying across his stomach. The soft sounds of the chords would float down, and could faintly be heard over the sound of the video games. This was Jude's life now. She left in a wide open room with three other guys, an iguana, and whatever creatures found their way into the space. This was her home, and her family.

"I shouldn't stay to long, nana locks the doors at ten." Jamie said picking up the paper Speid had thrown. "Plus I have a lecture in the morning." He was enjoying his second year of college.

"Yeah, I'd hate to be locked out of nana's house." Kyle joked. It was different for Jamie and them. Jamie had a family member that would support him, someone he could depend on, always. Them, Jude, Wally, Kyle and Speid, they only had each other for the most part.

After Jude's parents had divorced it was really hard for Jude to trust her dad, or have any type of relationship with him. He had broken her trust, and she had lost all respect for him. And her mother seemed to think that Jude didn't need her around anymore, so when she moved away and put the house up for sale, it left Jude practically homeless. Her and her sister Sadie had never gotten along very well. In fact Jude could still remember when Sadie had told everyone in high school that they were cousins, not sisters.

Speiderman's family had money, enough money that he didn't really have to worry about things, but also enough that there were certain expectations for him, ones that he didn't want to live up to. He didn't want to go college, he wanted to make music. And when that had become apparent to his parents, he lost the money he had.

Wally and Kyle both came from middle class families, and knew what it meant to work for the money they did have. Their parents supported them emotionally in what they were doing, but both boys had younger siblings, and knew it wasn't up to their parents to support them finically for their whole lives. But at the same time, they both knew that music wasn't what they were going to do forever, no matter how much they loved it. Both of them were also going to college part time.

This was Jude's life, going month to month, wondering if she would be able to make rent, trying to find the time to do what she loved and what needed to do done just to get by.


	5. Turkish Proverb

The other one and this one are on the short side, so I thought I'd be nice. I'm still car shopping, and busy with life. But I'll try to find some time to update during the week. I know it always brightens my day to have something to read!

* * *

><p>"And you're back." Jude smiled as Tommy entered the coffee shop later that week.<p>

"That coffee you made was amazing, just what I needed." Tommy smiled as he approached the counter.

"Would you like it again?" Jude wondered.

"No, I was actually wondering if I could try something different." He flashed her a smile that made most woman wobbly in the knees, but was disappointed to see it didn't affect her.

"There is a Turkish proverb 'Black as hell, strong as death, sweet as love.'" She smiled, leaning on the counter to study his face, trying to decided what it was he needed. "But I don't think you're ready for that." She whispered. She noticed that he didn't seem as stressed today, his hair looked like it did in all the pictures her sister had. "Café au lait." She nodded trying her best French accent, knowing that his last name was French.

"You speak French?" he asked. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew who he was.

"Some, my mom moved to France about two years ago." Jude said as she worked. "Your last name is French, shouldn't you know some as well?"

"Stage name." he smiled. He never reviled this much to a stranger.

"Oh really?" she asked mixing the coffee and milk. "You gonna share your actual name then?"

"That's a million dollar secret." He laughed. "Are you going to tell me your name?"

"Another million dollar secret." She laughed, handing him the cup. "$3.75."

"Really?" he asked. He had never had a girl refuse to tell him her name, this was something new to him.

"I have no reason to lie." She smiled sweetly, taking the money from him. "Enjoy your coffee." She smiled as he back away from the counter.

"You flirt with every guy that comes in here?" Tristan asked, as he opened a fresh bag of coffee beans to fill the jars up with.

"I wasn't flirting." Jude shot back at him, turning around to glare.

"Jude, I'm old, not blind." He laughed.

"You're not old!" Jude laughed as well throwing a hand towel at him.

"My own kids are older than you, that makes me old!" he said in his defense. It was confusing to Jude, she had never known an adult that liked the fact that they were getting older. She herself didn't get the fact that she was aging. But Tristan was different. His wife and him seemed to embrace their age, and their freedom from there two boys.

"Michael and Jordan are only a few years older than me, and the last time I checked, both my parents would string me up for calling them old." Jude shook her head.

"Well then I guess it's a good thing I'm not your parents." Tristan smiled. "So who's the guy?" he wondered, looking back towards the door.

"What guy?" Jude asked, having forgotten how they started the conversation in the first place.

"Black as death, strong as hell, sweet as love, guy!" he threw the towel back at her.

"A costumer, obviously." Jude rolled her eyes, placing a empty jar in front of him, before pushing herself up on the counter.

"Yes, because you so often pull out your coffee knowledge to share with the rest of the world."

Jude watched Tristan for a while, thinking about what he had said. She wasn't the type of person to share a lot, but then again she was also an open book, or she had been at one point in her life. After her father, everything changed.

"You remember that contest Jamie signed me up for? The one that's super big now?" Jude asked.

"Instant Star, I didn't know he signed you up for it." Tristan said turning to listen as she told the story.

"You're heard them talk about it for two years now, I'm hurt" she joked. "Well, I made it to the final round, it was between me and Eden."

"Eden, pop princess?" he asked.

"Very one." Jude nodded.

"Hmm…I heard she was engaged to that rapped, Shay." Tristan impressed her with his gossip knowledge.

"Not the point." She rolled her eyes. "Anyways, I chickened out, and didn't take the stage, therefore Eden won by default, and that guy, the one that was just in here, he would have produced my first single if I would have won." She whispered.

"You mean to tell me there was a point in your time that your fear was greater than your love of music?" Tristan asked trying to act shocked.

"Don't make fun of me. It's like when he comes in here, I can picture a totally different life, one that I could have had." She sighed sadly.

"One that you will have." Tristan said resting a hand on her shoulder. "Jude you're just got to believe you're good enough, don't let the hard times bring you down."

Jude smiled and nodded at him. Tristan has taken over the fatherly role for her for so long, but their relationship was different, she didn't view him as a parent, or an authority figure, he was her friend, someone she could always count on.


	6. Peace, Short Lived

So I literally just wrote this. I am super sorry for any mistakes. I reread the last part I posted and hit myself upside the head at least ten times for stupid misspellings. I normally write it and then post it weeks later, so I have a chance to go back and reread it, fixing things. But I know that I hate waiting that long for more of a good story, and I hope you guys feel the same about this. And just to remind everyone, I didn't write this to make everyone hate Tommy, but to remind everyone that Tommy is a rockstar, one that didn't fall in love with Jude when he was 22, and has had four more years to do things.

* * *

><p>Eden was gone, what a relief it was to have some sort of peace in the studio again. She was out promoting her upcoming fourth album, and his engagement to Shay. Tommy knew this was going to be the best week of his life, simple because she was gone. The moment she had stepped out of his studio, was the moment he felt happier, since returning to G Major. Now just if he could find that girl with the voice. He had gone out so many different times during the day looking for that group of kids, always going back to the same street corner, but never having any luck. Instead he always ended his trip at the coffee shop, the one with the mystery girl. He enjoyed flirting with someone that didn't turn to putty around him, it was refreshing.<p>

"Could you be anymore obvious?" Karma laughed interrupting his thoughts.

"Huh?" he asked, looking away from the glass up at Karma.

"You're so happy that she's gone, its practically stamped on your forehead." She said as she approached him, putting both her hands on the sides of his face, and lowering her head slowly, kissing his grin.

"Well it's nice to have some peace around here." Tommy said, as she settled into his lap, arms around his neck.

"Peace?" Karma laughed. "You've only been here for what, a month?"

Tommy knew that Karma knew exactly how long he had been there, and exactly how long they had been sleeping together. When he was younger, which was just a few years ago, he treated women with disrespect, like they were play toys for him. He didn't see anything wrong with it, they wanted him for the idea of being with Little Tommy Q, and he just wanted sex. But like every little boy, Tommy had started to grow up, slowly. He had been with Karma for just a few weeks, and had yet to see anyone else. He wanted to grow up, but not because of her.

"Well, she drives me insane, always has." Tommy told her.

"Is that why you've been out of the studio so much?" Karma wondered, studying his face.

"I'm never out of the studio." Tommy didn't know what she was talking about. He came in at 8 most mornings, and with finishing Eden's album and trying to get through hers, he was there until midnight most nights.

"Whenever I come looking for you in the afternoons, you're gone." Karma told him.

"Yeah, it's called a lunch break. It's that hour that I stop to eat something, get some coffee." Tommy rolled his eyes. This was why Karma was not the reason he needed to grow up.

"Coffee?" she asked. "You go out for coffee every day?"

"Yeah, you got a problem with that?" he asked, unhooking her arms, and gently pushing her off, so his lap would be free.

"No, I just thought, maybe you'd want to have lunch with me, or see more of me." Karma put her hands on her hips, and looked down at him hurt.

"Karma, I'm a busy guy, I spend all my time here, or with you. So sorry, if I take our hour out of my day to go and have a freaking cup of coffee." He didn't look at her as he turned towards the sound booth, reaching for the head phones. His peace had been short lived. It always was with Pop stars.

"Fine, if you don't want to see me, then don't." she huffed before turning and leaving, bumping into Kwest on his way out.

"What was that about?" Kwest asked, closing the door.

"Karma, being Karma." Tommy shook his head.

"Man, I don't even know why you try with her." Kwest laughed. "You two seem to fight more than anything."

"Yeah, I don't know either." Tommy really didn't know. He didn't even know how it had progressed to what it was now. When he had first come back, Kwest and a few of the other G Major employees had gone out, Tommy had gotten drunk, and went home with Karma. When he had left in the middle of the night, he had figured it was just that, a one night stand. But she seemed to see it differently, and Tommy was never one to turn down a girl throwing herself at him. It didn't make him a bad guy, it just made him a guy.

"What's she mad about this time?"

"That I go get coffee without her." Tommy rolled his eyes. "Seriously man, coffee."

"T, you come back, and all you can talk about is this coffee girl, no wonder she doesn't like you going alone to get coffee." Kwest laughed. "The girl is jealous."

"So what, I should stop going there?" Tommy asked. He knew that he wouldn't stop. Going there seemed to be a high point in his day. Seeing that blonde girl gave him something to look forward too.

"Hey, I'm not going to tell you to stop going there. She is a master with coffee. You've got to bring me something back the next time you're there." Kwest laughed.

And Tommy knew it was true. He could easily tell everyone that he went there because the coffee was so good, and anyone that had tried it would believe him. But he knew that it was more than just the coffee. It was the girl that made the coffee that kept him coming back.


	7. Established Routine

The week quickly progressed, and Tommy found himself going into the coffee shop almost daily, wanting to spend more and more time there. They had a routine, and he looked forward to it, asking for her name, and her telling him to enjoy his coffee. It was something that he knew he would count on, something he wanted to count on. He almost felt like a little kid again, watching the clocking, waiting for school to get out, but now he was just waiting to leave, and get there. He knew that it was only adding to his issues with Karma, but he didn't mind.

"You have to take it like a shot." she told him, putting the small cup down in front of him.

"How did you learn to make this?" he questioned, looking up at her. He was sitting at one of the tables near the window of the small coffee shop. "The last time I checked, no one could visit Cuba."

"Café Cubano." She laughed trying to use an accent that didn't fit, "I tried it when I was travelling, when I got back I wanted to perfect making it. Also know as I found the recipe online."

"I'm going to trust you." He laughed.

"I haven't made you anything bad yet." She smiled, and watched as he drank the espresso. She tried to hold back a laugh as he made a face.

He cringed at its bitterness, making him regretting telling her that he liked his coffee strong. He knew that it was worse than a shot of tequila, even if the after effects were much different. But there was something about the way she laughed, the way it touched her eyes and seemed to make them sparkle more, that he liked. "That was horrible." He coughed.

"That was strong." She smiled. "I'll go make you something sweeter to take back." She said before returning to behind the counter. "Did your friend like the coffee?" she asked, referring to the two cups he had been taking with him.

"He did, it was quite the hit." Tommy laughed thinking about how Kwest bagged him to bring him something back. "He wants to know the name of the woman that made it." He knew it was lame, another attempt at getting her name.

"Well, bring him with you tomorrow." She laughed.

"Sooner or later I will find out your name." Tommy smiled.

"I'm sure." She smiled back, handing him to two cups. "Until then, enjoy the coffee."

It was their routine, and Tommy didn't want to break it. "Not even a hint?"

"Are you going to tell me your real last name?" she asked, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Nope." He laughed, shaking his head, seeing her point. He opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off.

"DUDE!" A guy shouted, opening the door to the coffee shop, guitar case in hand. "We got to go, you're going to make us late!"

"Right." She said turning back and smiling at Tommy. "My shift in unofficially over." She smiled taking her apron off and handing it to the other man behind the counter.

Tommy watched as she walked around the counter, layering on her winter clothing.

"Oh uh, the one with the green star is your, decafe, I don't think you'll need anymore caffeine." She laughed.

"Good luck guys!" the man behind the counter shouted as they left, leaving him and Tommy only in the coffee shop.


	8. A Show

I know they are really short sometimes, but it doesn't feel right combining them because they a separate thoughts ideas, and sometimes I just can't make the transition as smooth as I would like. And hating Tommy would be natural, I hated him when I wrote him like that, but I just went through a break up, so I hate all men at the moment, good and bad. So I would expect anyone else to see him as a jerk, which is what he was in the show for awhile, even in Season 4.

And again I am sorry for this being so short, but this is the last part before everything starts to come together, and the two lives finally mix.

* * *

><p>She was nervous. When was the last time she had been on a real stage? She wasn't sure. They rarely played real gigs, with a real audience. It was something more spur of the moment with them. They would be down at Chain, it would be slow, and Iggy would tell them to get up and do something. Often times Patsy would join in, because Jude was to clean cut for them. She watched in the mirror as Kat fixed her makeup again, trying not to chew on her bottom lip.<p>

"You're going to be fine. It's just like the street corner. You're dad and Sadie are out there, and I will be too." Kat laughed.

"I know." Jude nodded her head. "It's going to be great." She smiled, seeing Speid making face out of the corner of her eye. If he had been there all those years ago, making it more like a joke, maybe she would have been able to handle it.

"You've got this dude." Speid laughed, pulling her through the door, his hands on her hips. "Just relax."

"I'm good." Jude nodded her head, following him out on stage. And sure enough she was right, she was good. There was no fear in her once she heard the music, or once she started to sing. She didn't care about the crowd not liking the music, because she knew that she liked it, and that was all that mattered. As long as they had fun, everything would be fine.

"That was great!" Jamie laughed, hugging her after the show. "I bet you guys anything they ask for us to come back."

"They will." Kat laughed joining them, "The crowd loved it!"

"See, you were nervous for nothing." Speid said hip checking Jude.

"Honey." Jude's dad said coming over to the group. "That was great, you guys killed it!"

He made the young group laugh.

"It was pretty good Jude." Sadie sighed.

"Thanks, I'm glad you guys made it." Jude laughed, hugging them each.

"We'd love to stay, but Sadie has finals in the morning." Stuart said with a sad look. "I promised her a ride back."

"That's okay, I've got an early shift tomorrow." Jude laughed. "Thanks again for coming Sadie, it really means a lot."

"Yeah, bye." Sadie said giving a small wave to the group before disappearing into the crowd. Maybe Jude would have felt more hurt by her sisters reaction if she wasn't on a total high. And if her and Sadie were closer. When the two sisters had found out that their father was cheating, naturally it would have brought them together, needing to lean on each other for support, but from them it did the opposite. It drove them even farther apart. Sadie had kept it from Jude for months, playing the big sister card when Jude did find out, and then Sadie didn't think they would tell their mother. She wanted to protect their fathers secret. And even if that wasn't enough to keep them from being close, when their mother ran off and get secretly married Jude's senior year of high school, selling the house right from under them, Sadie support her decision, which hurt Jude more than she would ever admit.

Jude turned back and looked at her friends, "That was so amazing!" she laughed, before sharing a group hug with them. This was the family she had created when her own had fallen apart. These were the people she knew she could count on.

"Dude, you owned it up there!" Speid said snaking his arms in around her waist from behind. To the group it was natural, even to Jude and him it was natural.

"I couldn't have done it without you." Jude laughed, one arm on top of his, and patting his cheek with her free hand, and his chin rested on her shoulder.

"I have to take a picture!" Kat squealed. "We must of them moment documented!" it was something they had done ever since Jude had returned. They took pictures of everything they did together, every moment that needed remembering.

"Come on guys." Jude laughed as Wally and Kyle went and stood next to her, she knew they could never have to many band pictures.

"Perfect!" Kat shouted, snapping the picture quickly before turning around and taking one with her in, trying hard to position the camera where everyone could be seen.

"Let's celebrate!" Kyle said, throwing a drum stick up in the air and catching it. And that was just what they all intended on doing.


	9. Discover the Undiscorvered

Jamie was right, they had asked JME to come back and play again, for the same amount of money, and that was something they couldn't turn down. As they were leaving the small club that night Jude was rushing to catch up with the guys when she bumped into a man, making him spill his drink on her and himself.

"I'm so sorry." Jude looked around for something to wipe it up with.

"It's alright, no problem." He laughed. "I'm Kwest." The tall man offered his hand to her.

"I'm Jude, Jude Harrison." She shook his hand. She didn't like giving out her name, she didn't like the look she got from people if they could make the connection with her name and The Beatles. When she was younger, she was proud of it, but as she got older, so did the name.

"Yeah, I know. It's a pleasure to meet you." He smiled.

"Like wise, I guess?" she asked with a laugh. She wasn't sure who he was.

"I saw you play a last week, and heard you would be here tonight." He laughed. "I'm a producer at G Major."

"I see." Jude nodded, it was all starting to make sense now. "You work for Darius Mills." She knew when Darius had bought out G Major after the first Instant Star contest. They had sent demos into the label a few different times over the last year.

"The one and only." He nodded.

"So what can I do for you, Kwest?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder, Speid was watching her closely.

"I'd like to know if there is any way my boss would be able to hear you guys." His eyes darted to the group of boys off in the distance, waiting for her, two of them seeming more than ready to pounce if he made a wrong move.

"Like a demo?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, like a demo." He laughed. "I like your sound, and I think he would too."

"Honestly?" Jude wondered.

"Do I look like the type of guy that would kid about this?" Kwest asked with a laugher in his tone. There was something about him, something so smooth and easy.

"No, you don't. I just have to make sure." Jude smiled before looking down to rummage through her messenger bag. "This is my last copy, so please be nice to it." She said pulling out a CD. The cover of the disc had been doodled on, lyrics to another song scribbled around it.

"I'll treat it like a friend." Kwest smiled taking the case from her. "How do I get a hold of you?"

Walking backwards, towards her band mates, she shrugged her shoulders. "You know my name, isn't that enough to find me again?" she asked laughing. She knew that if he could find her here, then he could find her anywhere.

The man couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, I guess."

"I work afternoons at the coffee shop on 4th, next to the music store." Jude added before turning around to join her friends. She had to control herself. She wanted to jump up and down, and scream like a little girl. She knew that this was something they had all hoped would happen someday, but she didn't know it would be this cool when it did happen.

"What was that about?" Jamie asked when Jude rejoined them.

"The break we've been waiting for." Jude finally allowed herself to smile, her excitement coming through. She reached for Speid's hand, and did a small jump, laughing the whole time. She had so desperately wanted to look calm and cool in front of Kwest, but now that she could be herself, she couldn't contain it any longer.

"What do you mean?" Jamie asked. The other males in the group seemed to get it, they all looked dumbfounded and shocked, but Jamie was confused.

"That was Kwest, he's a producer at G Major." Jude laughed. "He asked for a demo!"

"G Major?" Jamie asked. "Like Instant Star, G Major?"

"Pretty sure that's the only one in all of Canada man." Speid said knocking Jamie upside the head. "This is great news dude!"

"You have to tell me everything that was said!" Jamie stated, pulling Jude's hands away from Speid.

"What?" Jude laughed, feeling the excitement being pulled down by Jamie. "Jamie, this could be the break we've been looking for. Can you let us enjoy it?"

"I'm your manager Jude, he should have talked to me, not you!" Jamie mumbled, but Jude already had her attention back on her band mates, reliving the moment with them.

"Did you find them?" Tommy asked as Kwest returned to the studio just a few hours later. He had been out looking for a group that he had heard the week before, one that like Tommy, he couldn't stop talking about. Tommy had stayed late, avoiding a party Karma wanted him to go to, saying he had work to do.

"Yeah, and I got this." He said handing Tommy the CD he had been given just hours ago. "They're good man, you should have come and seen it live."

"Karma and that party, I swear this girl doesn't take a hint." Tommy rolled his eyes. "Let's hear it." He said as Kwest put in the cd. The sound instantly filled the room, and even though it was rough, Tommy could tell it was good. As it picked up more, something clicked, it was the group he had been looking for. "This, this is JME?" he asked, his thoughts rushing together.

"Yeah, the band I told you about!" Kwest laughed.

"No, man this is the girl I've been talking about!" Tommy laughed back, it only figured that they would both be looking for the same girl.

"The one from the street corner?" he asked.

"Yeah, this is the song they were playing." He listened. "Wow, I can't believe you found her." He laughed reaching for his mug of coffee.

"They are good man."

"I told you, she's the real deal, her voice, it's amazing." Tommy nodded. "D's got to hear this."

"He already is." Darius Mills said from the door way. Their well dressed boss stood over them, listening to the song. "Not half bad, who is it?" he asked.

"Jude and the Mind Explosion." Kwest offered. "I saw them play last week, and ran into them again at this club. I asked for a demo, thought you might like to hear it."

"Well you thought right!" Darius laughed. "Bring them in, I want a better cut." He pointed at Kwest, "And you," he turned his attention to Tommy, "I want Karma's new single by the end of the week."

"We're on it D." Tommy nodded. Karma was a struggle to work with now. He had thought that Eden was a diva, but there seemed to be days that Karma would outshine any diva fit. She had been mad with him for weeks now, and he didn't know why. Deep down he knew why, it had something to do with his long visits to a coffee shop.

Both men waited for their boss to leave the studio.

"So how are you going to track them down?" Tommy wondered. He had been looking for her for weeks, and came up with nothing.

"I've got her name, Jude Harrison, and I know where she works." Kwest laughed. "Some coffee shop over on 4th."

That was all it took for Tommy to put to pieces together. He had been searching so hard for this girl that he didn't even realize that she had been right in front of him for so long. The blonde girl from the coffee shop with the musical laugh and blue eyes. She was the girl. He could hit himself for being so dense.


	10. Say A Little Prayer

Two weeks, it had been two weeks and Jude was starting to wonder if she was ever going to hear from the producer at G Major, or see Tommy at the coffee shop again. It was wrong to think about him, and she knew if she wasn't more concerned about the producer, he would be taking up more of her mind. She enjoyed having him come in, talking with him, he didn't seem like the jerk the press made him out to be. But she couldn't think about that, her mind was mostly consumed by the waiting. She hadn't thought that it would take this long to hear, but part of her wondered if she'd ever hear anything. She shaved the cinnamon slowly over the cup of coffee, trying not to let her thoughts stay on either subject matter for too long. She need to focus on everything else, anything else really.

"Here you go. Enjoy your coffee." Jude smiled handing the large mug to the woman that was waiting. She was getting ready to ask the next person what she could get them when all she could do was smile. It was like her prayers were heard, or maybe someone was looking out for her.

"You're right, you're pretty easy to find." Kwest laughed approaching the counter.

"Well, what can I say, I'm not a girl of mystery." Jude smiled. Every part of her insides were screaming, and she was trying to control her urge to dance around like a five year old on Christmas morning. She knew that it was a good sign he was here, it was more than good, it was great.

"That can be both a good and bad thing." Kwest told her.

"Story of my life." Jude laughed. Her mind was going a mile a second, so many different thoughts and scenarios were playing out. "So what can I do for you?" she asked as a thought dawned on her. Maybe he was there for coffee, it wouldn't be the first time.

"The demo made its way around the whole label. Darius wants me to set up a time for you guys to come in, meet with him, blow his mind with a song, and maybe even sign a deal." Kwest told her.

"Wow, it happens that fast huh?" Jude said leaning on the counter.

"It can happen that fast." Kwest told her. "The legal part of it all will take a few days, but yeah, he liked what he heard, and he normally gets what he wants."

"I'm not one to just give in like that." Jude smiled. "But they say there is a first time for everything." She liked Kwest. He seemed like a down to earth person, simple, someone she could get along with. Most importantly, someone she could trust.

"So what's this work schedule of yours look like?" Kwest asked.

"It looks like whatever I make it look like." Jude laughed. "I normally work the afternoons, but I can get anything covered, the powers of knowing the boss."

"The power of the boss being so cool." Tristan interjected.

"I take it, you're the boss?" Kwest laughed, reaching out to shake the hand of the man that stood next to Jude.

"That he is, greatest boss man in the world." Jude smiled at him.

"Kwest, I'm a producer at G Major." Kwest introduced himself.

"Pleasure to meet you. Tristian." Tristan smiled. "Why don't I make the two of you some coffee, and you can call the guys?" he said to Jude.

"Actually, I don't have long. We have a launch party this afternoon, I just wanted to check and see if Jude and the rest of the band would be able to come in on Wednesday morning."

"Am I going to need a lawyer for this?" Jude wondered. The way he said it seemed too professional, different from the way he had been talking to her.

"No, you'll be fine. Darius just wants to meet you guys, talk a little." Kwest told her.

"We can make it by ten." Jude smiled. "But honestly, how about a coffee to go, you look like you could use a pick me up."

"That'd be great, thanks." Kwest smiled at her.


	11. Deal with the Devil

She stood in hospitality, looking around at the pictures on the wall, the many faces of Instant Star. They were all faces that she knew well, but the one she knew the best was of Eden. The place looked a lot different form the last time she had been there, when Georgia was in charge. She wasn't sure when the switch had taken place, but she did know that the Hip Hop King, Darius Mills had taken over G Major and Instant Star.

"You made it." Kwest said coming out of a studio.

"Yeah," Jude smiled nodding her head. "This is my guitar player, Speiderman, bass is Wally, and drums is Kyle." She pointed out each of the boys.

Kwest took the time to shake their hands. "I'm Kwest, it's a pleasure to meet you guys. You all sounded amazing when I heard you a few weeks back."

"Thanks." Speid nodded. "This is our trusted manager Jamie Andrews." He introduced the boy standing next to Jude.

"Nice to meet you as well." Kwest smiled at him.

Jamie only nodded. It was easy to tell that he was more than annoyed with everything around him.

"So I take it Darius listened to our demo?" Jude asked, folding her arms in front of her.

"Yeah, he heard it, and he wants to talk about giving you guys a contract." Kwest nodded. "Why don't you get set up in studio B?" he pointed the way.

"A contract?" Jude smiled, looking over at Jamie with hopes that he would settle down now.

"Wait a second," Jamie said pulling her aside.

"What?" Jude asked.

"I just don't want to see this turn out bad, how do we know it's real?" he asked.

"Look around you Jamie, does this look fake?" Jude asked to laugh. She knew how worried Jamie was over things like this.

"I just-it all-I we." He was stumbling on his words.

"What?" Jude asked.

"I just don't want to see this change you or your music, change us." He sighed pointing between them. the last few weeks had given him hope that maybe they could move past the friendship stage, she seemed to be fully over Speid.

"Jamie, I'm not going to change for anyone." Jude laughed. "You know me, I'm stubborn to the T."

"Dudes!" Speidermen called from the studio door. "We don't have all day."

"Sorry." Jude laughed, going over to them, closing to the door behind her, leaving Jamie on the other side of the glass.

"What was the J man freaking out over?" he asked.

"Us changing." Jude rolled her eyes, as they looked around the room.

"Is this all sort of weird for you?" Wally asked.

"What do you mean?" Jude wondered. This was the break they had been waiting for, why would it be weird for her.

"Well cause if you had choked back in high school, you'd be like the shit around here." Kyle said.

"Dudes!" Speid said shooting them a warning look. It was a topic they had agreed not to talk about, ever.

"No, it's okay." Jude laughed. "I guess, it's a little weird when you think about it." She shrugged. "But I don't think about it."

"Hot mamma jamma!" Speid said, his attention clearly focused on something outside of the room they were in.

Jude and the other two boys turned to see what it was. Karma, the last Instant Star winner was walking across the lobby looking stunning as always. Jude turned away before she saw who she was walking towards.

"I think I just fell in love." Kyle said making his way to the window, pressing his hands and face against the glass.

The reaction of her band mates made Jude laugh. It was something she was use to, she had been living with them for almost four months now, it was expected.

"Seriously you guys." Jude laughed, her back still to them as she went up with the set up. "This is the one chance we have let's not blow it."

"I don't think you have to worry Red." Wally sighed. "She's got herself a booty shaker." Referring to what they called boys in pop groups.

"I'm sorry guy, I know it's heart breaking." Jude laughed to turn around to see their disappointed faces, only to see who was on the other side of the window now. Tom Quincy.

But Jude didn't have time to think about that. Before she knew it she was being introduced to Darius Mills himself, shaking hands, taking a tour, and handed a contract. She knew better than to sign anything right away, and made sure to tell him that they would need a lawyer to look it over, that was the only time Don came in handy. He explained that at first he just wanted them to record and EP, something they would use to test the waters with. Then they would talk about a more extended contract. This was when Jamie came into play. He was able to read over the contract with Jude's step father on the phone, giving them group a nod of approval. And before Jude knew it, she had signed her first deal.

"Why do I feel like I just signed away my soul?" Jude asked as the group walked back towards the awaiting studio.

"Because I think we just did." Speid sighed shaking his head. "It's better to have lived, than never lived at all."

"Not fitting." Jude shook her head and laughed at the boys. "Well, if he's taking our souls, lets at least make it good." She placed the head phones over her ears and waited for Kwest to give them the okay.


	12. What You've Been Waiting For

Why do I feel like that has been in lack of updating for Instant Star, or any of the stories I read? I know it's been a week since I've updated. But it seems like nothing else is getting updated either. I guess everyone is just busy. But in other news I'm amazing, and this is the part you've all been waiting for. Note it's titled, what you've been waiting for. I'm clever like that, or lazy. So thank you for the reviews, I enjoy feeling loved.

* * *

><p>She knew he would show up, she had been expecting it since they had seen each other in the studio, that frozen moment in time, Speid reaching for her hand to drag her out, Karma holding onto his arm, just like the day she had first saw him on the street.<p>

She watched him as he crossed the street and pulled the door open, the way his eye brows scrunched together made it hard to tell if he was thinking, or angry. But she stopped him before he said it, the greeting she dreaded. "If you even say it, I swear on all the dead Beatles I will hurt you."

"Okay." He laughed putting his hands up. "So, Jude Harrison."

"Yes, Tommy Quincy?" she asked. It was the first time he had said her name, and she liked the way it sounded on his lips. That worried her, because she knew she should be repulsed by him saying her name, knowing her name.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Tell you what?" she wondered.

"That you sing, that you're the girl from the street corner." Tommy laughed.

"Because you never asked." Jude told him simply, starting on a drink for him. She didn't need to ask him what he wanted, she just knew. "You asked if you knew me, and you didn't, and you still don't."

"Still, you should have told me, I would have been able to help you out." He told her.

Jude wanted to laugh, maybe it was an old habit, or all those years of hating on boy bands. "Honestly, my music is sort of real, serious, not something I would share with a booty shaker." She gave him a small smile before handing over his coffee.

"Booty shaker?" he asked. He was sure that was meant to offended him, and he was sure when he walked away it would, but looking at her, he knew that she could call him anything and it wouldn't matter.

"You're Little Tommy Q, not Billy Joel or Tim Armstrong." Jude told him. She was serious about her music. And even if she enjoyed making him coffee, that didn't mean she would enjoy him listening to her music. And to be honesty she didn't even know that he worked at G Major still. She had thought he had left after the first Instant Star contest. "Plus you come here for coffee, not music." She told him. She looked over at the picture on the counter, one that she was sure he had to have seen, one of her and her band mates.

"You're going to regret calling me Little Tommy Q." he smirked at her before leaving the money on the counter.

"Enjoy the coffee!" she said as he walked away from her.

It wasn't until the next day that she understood what he had meant by regret calling him that.

"I've got good news!" Darius Mills said coming into the studio to meet with his newly signed group. "Because I believe in you so much, I'm giving you our top producer."

"I thought Kwest was producing us?" Jude asked, looking around at her band mates. They were pretty happy with the way things were going, even though it had only been a few days. They all liked Kwest. The guys were able to joke around with him, and his personality was easy going. He seemed excited to listen to them, and their ideas. Jude didn't like the idea of working with a 'top' producer. She was sure he wouldn't be as laid back as Kwest seemed.

"Yeah, King Kwest!" Speiderman said playing a few chords on his guitar, confirming everything Jude was silently thinking.

"Kwest has an album I need him to wrap up, and my top producer just became free. Take this great opportunity, it only comes around once." His tone wasn't as happy this time around, and they knew they had no say in the matter. It was already a done deal.

"Sounds like fun." Jude nodded, she was scared of Darius, he appeared to be a man that needed to control everything, and that wasn't something she was use to. So she knew she had to play along, they had to make it work because this was their shot. "Who is it?" she wondered.

"Tom Quincy." Darius smiled.

Jude could feel her stomach drop, and hear his words in her head, '_You're going to regret calling me Little Tommy Q'_.

"You mean Little Tommy Q from Boys Attack?" Spiederman laughed, doubling over, thinking it was a joke.

"It's Tom Quincy." The man barked from the other side of the glass. The smile that Jude was use to seeing was no longer there, but replaced with tight lips and sharp, cold eyes. "Don't you ever call me Little Tommy Q again." There was an undertone in his voice as well, one that she had never heard before.

"T, this is Jude and the Mind Explosion." Darius laughed, "Make me something brilliant."

"Let's hear what you've got." Tommy sighed, sitting down behind the sound board, he appeared to be bored, and Jude wondered if it was an act.

Jude couldn't move, she stayed frozen in her spot, staring at him, trying to understand his expression.

"Sometime today." He didn't look at her.

"Dude." Speiderman said, pulling her back to reality.

"Yeah, sorry." Jude mumbled, turning to look at them. "Uh, let's do Me Out of Me." Jude said before turning back to face him. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach.

_Why you always trying to make me something that I don't wanna be?  
>Ooo, push me over, make me over, try to make a joke out of me<br>There's something you should know  
>I won't change and I'm not letting go<br>There's something you will see  
>You can't turn down cuz I'm breakin free ya<em>

_You just can't take the me out of me  
>Cuz that's what I need the world to see<br>You just can't take the me out of me  
>Oh there's no one else I'd rather be<em>

_I won't change my hair, I don't care if you call me a freak (freak)  
>Won't change my attitude, no I'll never change the way that I speak<br>There's something you should know  
>I won't change no I won't-<em>

His hand slammed down so hard on the button Jude was sure she could hear it through the soundproof glass. He placed his hands over his ears, and his face looked sour.

"That's enough, when I said I wanted to hear what you had, I didn't mean I wanted you to make my ears bleed." He looked up at her for the first time.

"Excuse me!" Jude shouted stepping forward, ready to channel her inner Patsy. She could almost picture herself going in there and punching him.

"Seriously, how many times did you say me?" He shook his head. "Those lyrics, and the guitar, it hurts my ears."

"I wrote that song." Jude snapped back at him. "And at least my songs are better than picking up the pieces of some broken heart, mine actually have meaning."

"Oh, that stung." Tommy rolled his eyes. He hadn't meant to pick a fight with her, it wasn't her voice, it was just the song she was singing, but he could quickly tell the two were the same to her. "That song is juvenile, it's to high school, and way too selfish."

"No." Jude said simply hanging up the head phones. "Like I said, you can't take the me, out of me."

"That doesn't make sense." Tommy shouted in frustration.

The three band members watched as the two started a fight, over what they weren't sure, but they knew Jude, and they knew better than to question her about her songs.

"Look blondie, you might not like love songs, but those are what sell, and Darius wants something he can sell, it's the only way you're going to get a good single." Tommy told her.

"I think we should take five, maybe talk about it." Speid said quickly, seeing the wheels turn in her head. He knew her, he knew just about everything about her, and he knew where her mind was going, somewhere it shouldn't.

"Fine, take five." Tommy mumbled, pushing away from the sound board and turning away from them.


	13. There's Us

I have spent the last four heads in a ball on the couch or in bed reading The Hunger Games. If you guys haven't read them, or even heard about them, look it up right now! I haven't been this in love with a book or story line since Twilight, and I hate to say it, but this series blows Twilight out of the water! They made a movie based off the first one, so I highly, highly suggest picked it up before the movie comes out. I would never steer any of you wrong when it came to a good read!

* * *

><p>"What exactly is it you want?" Jude asked coming into the small sound room. She leaned on the door fame watching him, arms crossed, keeping herself together. Trying to hold every part of her sanity in place. She couldn't figure him out, not at the coffee shop, not here in the studio.<p>

"Something worthy of being put out there." Tommy replied, looking over at her. He had a strong urge to apologize, but couldn't bring himself to do it. "Some of the best songs are personal, they are what everyone else in the world can relate to. A bad break up, falling in love, losing something, if its real to you, then it's something that someone else has experienced, something they will have in common with you."

Jude thought for a moment, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She knew what song anyone would be able to relate to, but she wasn't sure if it was the right one to sing now. It was a song they had only done once before, right before she had left. "Okay, I might have something." She whispered before going back into the room with the guys.

"There's Us." She whispered back to the group, her eyes settling on Speid trying to gage his reaction. She knew it was going to be a disaster, but she wanted to hope for the best, she wanted to believe they were ready for this.

"Jude." Speid sighed. It was easy to tell the discomfort in the room. The period for them had been hard on all of them.

"I can do it alone if I need to." Jude sighed, unplugging her guitar, looking towards the keyboard.

"No, you suck at playing, you're fingers don't move right." Speiderman sighed, and Jude could tell that he was only trying to break a tension, the one between them that she had created.

Tommy was surprised as the soft sounds filled the booth, it wasn't something he was expecting from her, from this group. It was gentle, and they all appeared too rough to make something like this.

Tears stung her eyes and threatened to fall before she even opened her mouth. But she knew this was personal, this was something everyone could relate to, something everyone has been through. Breaking up with your best friend.

_There's me  
>Looking down at my shoes<br>The one smiling like the sun  
>That's you<br>What were you thinking  
>What was the song inside your head<br>There's us  
>Going on about a band<br>Working out how we play our hand  
>I lay there dreaming<br>Later all alone in my bed_

_If I was stupid_  
><em>Maybe careless<em>  
><em>So were you<em>

_Not everything is supposed to come true_  
><em>Some words are best unsaid<em>  
><em>Some love is not really love at all<em>  
><em>I'll keep everything I shared with you<em>  
><em>And that's enough<em>  
><em>There's us<em>

_Freeze-frame_  
><em>I'm not about to cry<em>  
><em>It's too late for us to change<em>  
><em>Why try<em>  
><em>I've got a camera<em>  
><em>Tucked away inside my heart<em>

_If I'm a loser_  
><em>Or just unlucky<em>  
><em>So are you<em>

_Not everything is supposed to come true_  
><em>Some words are best unsaid<em>  
><em>Some love is not really love at all<em>  
><em>I'll keep everything I shared with you<em>  
><em>And that's enough<em>  
><em>There's us<em>

_Somewhere between then and now_  
><em>I look away when you said we'll never change<em>  
><em>And if you think what might have been<em>  
><em>You'll lose today and we've got songs to play<em>

_Not everything is supposed to come true_  
><em>Some words are best unsaid<em>  
><em>Some love is not really love at all<em>  
><em>I'll keep everything I shared with you<em>  
><em>And that's enough<em>  
><em>There's us<em>  
><em>Not everything is supposed to come true<em>  
><em>Some words are best unsaid<em>  
><em>Some love is not really love at all<em>  
><em>I'll keep everything I shared with you<em>  
><em>And that's enough<em>  
><em>There's us<em>

"Better." He sighed when they finished.

Jude looked up at Speid, and she could see the matching sadness in his eyes, the ones that matched the way she felt. They had been so good together, so happy, planning everything out. She wasn't sure when it had happened, but at some point in the song the tears had in fact broken loose, and the salt tears on her lips made the regret of making them do that song rise. There was a reason they never did that song.

"Let's try it on the piano instead, give it more of a clean sound, do you have the music written down?" Tommy was oblivious to what was happening in the room in front of him.

"I'm sorry." Jude whispered reaching for him, but Speid rushed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

"What-" Tommy said looking up to see the tears in her eyes. "What was that about?"

"I've got it." Wally sighed, putting his bass down before going after Spied. But before the door had closed Jude had gotten up and left the recoding booth as well, leaving Kyle to explain it.

"Well?" Tommy asked.

"Bad break up?" was all Kyle could offer.


	14. Water Front

Anyone read The Hunger Games yet? I might be nicer and update more if everyone would go out and read the series! Actually I doubt it. I'm fighting a rather nasty cold, and I just got another class added to my day. I'm a preschool teacher, in case anyone was wondering. And I've gone from 18 students to 36 students. So I'm trying to work it all out, and not fall over from this head cold. So read The Hunger games, it will entertain you while I can't.

* * *

><p>"You ran out on studio time yesterday." Tommy said coming into the coffee shop the following day. He had thought about her that night, when he was at dinner with Karma, thought about how her eyes seemed bluer when she cried.<p>

"And you were a dick." She replied, not making eye contact with him. She had gone and stayed with her dad that night. She didn't want to face the guys, and she couldn't make herself go back. She had done something she knew she shouldn't. She had brought up the past, their past, and it made it hard to face him, knowing that they were both still hurting.

"I'm a producer, it's my job." He shrugged, maybe he had been too harsh with them on their first day, but that was just who he was, the way he was.

"And this is mine, what can I get you?" she asked, looking up for the first time.

"I didn't come here for coffee, I came here to talk about your song, well songs." Tommy sighed. "Me Out of Me."

"You hated it." Jude reminded him.

"No, there are just some things that need to be changed. It's my job to tell you how it is, and then help you fix it." Tommy told her. "Not everything you write is crap, that other song, There's Us, it's good, really good."

"In case you couldn't guess, we're not doing that song again." Jude told him.

"Yeah you are," Tommy said rolling his eyes. He should have guess that she would be just as difficult as Eden and Karma.

"No, we're not." Jude told him, crossing her arms in front of her an staring up at him for the first time since he had come into the coffee shop. She wanted her point to be made, she wanted him to see that she was serious.

"Come on." Tommy said grabbing her arm and leading her towards the door.

"I'm working." Jude said pointing back to the counter and her co-worker.

"You're on your lunch." Tommy sighed pulling her outside into the cold. He pulled her around to the passenger side of his blue viper that was parked in front of the shop. "Get in." he said opening her door.

Jude did as she was told and watched with angry eyes as he got into the driver's seat. "Where are we going?"

"To work on your song." Tommy told her.

Every fiber of Jude's being was telling her to punch him, to get out of the car, and away from him. But she couldn't. They were already speeding off down the road, and she knew she didn't have a choice anymore. This wasn't just about her, it was about her band too.

"Is this where you bring all your girls Quincy?" Jude asked, looking around at the water. They were standing near some old abounded warehouse down by the water front, somewhere Jude was sure she would never be able to find again. It seemed like a scene straight out of a movie, and this was the part right before the killer would show up, or a drug deal. She wasn't sure which would be more fitting.

"You're not one of my girls Harrison." He told her, handing her a guitar.

Jude only rolled her eyes at his statement and took the guitar from him. She could feel the cold winter air snapping at the thin sweater she had on. If she wasn't so annoyed she would complain, but she was sure it wouldn't do her any good.

"Play the song," Tommy ordered.

"I don't take orders, unless they are for coffee." Jude snapped.

"I'll remember that, now play." Tommy told her.

She moved the guitar on her lap, getting it in the right position before playing the opening line to Me Out of Me.

"You know the words," Tommy sighed.

Jude shot him a look before adding the vocals to her performance. Maybe it was the stillness of the environment, or the way he was staring at her, but the sound of the guitar didn't seem to fit the words she was singing. She stopped half way through the song and hung her head. His point was made.

"It's a song of a real album, not an EP. With an EP we want something everything is going to listen to, something they can all like, it's your chance to hook them." Tommy told her. "The Music, and There's Us, are good songs for an EP."

"I can't." she whispered shaking her head, thinking about the pain she saw in Speid's face. "If you plan on my band making it through this, we can't do that song again."

"Why? What's the story?" he asked. Normally he wouldn't have cared, even yesterday, the moment she had left the room, he didn't care anymore.

"Because, it's too personal, and we're just not ready to bring it back up." Jude sighed. "I've got plenty of other songs we can do, just not that one, not yet."

"Okay, what else do you have?" Tommy asked.

Jude sat there for a moment, taking in the man before her. The tips of his ears were pink from the cold, but his eyes quickly sucked her in and she couldn't look anywhere else, the blue sea was easy to get lost in, and that was when she felt the shiver run down her spine, a shiver from the cold. "How about we take it somewhere else Quincy, somewhere not so cold?" she asked as he shrugged out of his leather jacket and draped it around her shoulders, engulfing her in his sweet scent.

"We're laying down The Music today, they're going to need us back at the studio." He sighed.


	15. Sister Love

Jude sat in the loft apartment on the wrong side of town, the place she called 620, the place she called home. They had been working for almost two weeks at G Major. It was something they soon realized didn't mean a lot. There seemed to be a lot of artists that worked there, a lot of other bands making an EP, making them still feel like just another face in the crowd. But it was still their start. The boys had found ways to get around Tommy's cold personality, and Jude had quickly realized the two different Tom Quincy's she saw. The Tommy in the studio wasn't always friendly, in fact he was a hard ass, up tight, and over critical. The Tommy from the coffee shop was someone she could almost call a friend. But the more time they spent working on their EP, the less she saw of coffee shop Tommy, and that seemed to be okay with her.

Tommy had started to invade Jude's mind in ways she never dreamed possible. It had happened only a few nights ago, and Jude was sure it was due to the amount of time she had spent arguing with him in the studio, but she knew it took days to convenience herself of that. Tommy played the staring role in her dream one night. Normally it was something Jude could have just pushed to the side, whatever, dreams are dreams. But the fact that she woke up, unsure of reality and dreams, it was made it harder to forget.

But this wasn't the time for her mind to wonder back to dreamland. Jude was trying to work on a new song, something that would get Tommy's mind off There's Us. When she had finally returned to the apartment, her and Speid had it out, there was a lot of screaming, throwing, and crying. Jude felt so bad for having them play that song, for bringing up those feelings, the ones they were so good at pretending weren't there. It didn't do good things for their band because it was something that Jude and Speid themselves hadn't taken the time to work out, and even still they hadn't really worked anything out. They just agreed that Jude was Speid's Lisa, and he was her Bart.

But her thoughts on her new song where interrupted when the door swung open and her sister came rushing in.

"Jude Elizabeth Harrison!" Sadie screaming, throwing her purse down on the table, making a cracking sound. Jude was sure something in there had broken. She had picked up Sadie's purse one time, and it had to weight the same as a frozen turkey. She couldn't even begin to imagine what her sister kept in there.

Jude looked at Sadie, and then behind at the three boys, wondering what had happened, had she missed a family dinner, a skype call from her mother? She wasn't coming up with anything. "Yes?" she asked, she had to refrain from laughing. Her sister looked truly upset, and the way Sadie's eyes seemed to pull closer together had made Jude giggle ever since she was little.

"You are working at G Major and didn't find it important to tell me!" Sadie shouted, walking over and glaring at her sister.

Jude leaned back, trying to put some distance between her and her sister. Sadie could be intense at time, and this was one of those times. "I didn't." Jude offered, unsure of what Sadie was looking for. They didn't have the type of relationship where every detail was shared.

"You didn't think I would like to know that Tom Quincy is your producer!" she shouted, anger and annoyance leaking into her words, Jude was sure if they weren't sisters Sadie would slap her.

Aw, there it was, what Sadie was really after, a man. No, Jude hadn't thought it was important to tell her sister that little fact. In fact, that is a little fact that Jude had wanted to keep from her sister, for as long as possible because she knew what would follow, she would already play this conversation out in her head.

"It's all over, every magazine I read!" Sadie told her shoving the tabloid in her sister's face. It was a picture of Tommy in the coffee shop that Jude worked at.

"Sadie, I think you need to breath. A lot of people going there for coffee, it's sort of the point of it being a coffee shop." Jude said getting out of the chair, leaning away wasn't giving her enough distance. She could feel Sadie's glares on her back. "I'm sorry, I didn't think it mattered. He's just producing our EP."

"And hanging out in your coffee shop!" Sadie shouted. "How could you not think it wasn't important? I'm your sister, your only sister!"

"Because Sadie, not everything in my world revolves around you." Jude shouted back at her. "I have a life, one separate from you, the way you always wanted it." The two girls were never very close, and after their parents split, they grew ever farther apart.

"This is the way it's going to work." Sadie said fixing her shirt, and straightening her skirt, regaining some form of calm. "I'm going to come by for lunch with my favorite little sister, and you're going to introduce us."

Jude looked behind her when she heard the boys laugh, sending them warning glances. She didn't want Sadie to stay there all night bagging, and pleading. It wasn't a good look for her sister. "Sadie." She smiled back at her sister. "I will introduce you guys when we finish our EP, until then, there isn't anything I can do."

"I better meet Tommy Q and soon," Sadie snapped before picking her purse back up. "I'm going to be the laughing stock of the whole house now." She muttered. "No one is going to believe that I knew about this before. I can't believe you didn't tell me." She was talking to herself as she walked out of the door.

"Yeah Jude, how could you not tell her?" Kyle said, pretending to be shocked.

"You're the worse sister in the world!" Speid said trying to imitate Sadie.

Jude couldn't help but laugh at him as he walked around the door, acting like her sister. She threw a pen at him and she tried to duck when he threw it back at her.

"How's the song coming Harrison?" he laughed, falling on her bed next to her.

"I don't know, it's not." Jude shook her head sighing. She didn't know what she wanted to write about, just that she needed something, anything.

"You'll figure it out, you always do." He gave her a soft smile and ruffled her hair.

She knew that he was right. She was always able to come up with something. She didn't feel very inspired right now, and that worried her. Here she was, living in a loft apartment with three males, making a record, she should be nothing but inspired. But for some reason she had hit a wall, a rather large muscular wall, with perfect hair and dazzling blue eyes.

"You okay there spaz?" Kyle asked, watching a Jude suddenly started to shake her head, pressing the heal of her hand into her eyes.

"Ugh." Jude sighed in frustration. She needed to stop thinking of Tommy, he was the reason she couldn't write. She knew it wasn't right to blame the producer, but she had nowhere else to lay it at the moment.


	16. A Cowboy and a Queen

I'm horrible aren't I? I've become one of those people that almost forgets to update. It's not that this part hasn't been done forever, it's just that I've been stuck on where this story is going for the longest time. My inspiration left as quickly as it came, and right after that life seemed to take over, work, family, boyfriend, and more work. What can I say, being a preschool teacher is hard! So I am sorry for the wait, and pleased if you're still reading this!

* * *

><p>The longer they worked at G Major, the more it seemed like their second home, which was nice because they didn't have to pay the heating bill. The group often found themselves hanging out in the studio even when they weren't working. They would sit in on other groups recording, and always when each other would lay something down. At first it seemed like high school all over again, Tommy and Kwest being teachers, Darius was the principal, and all the other artists their classmates.<p>

Jude was normally only there in the mornings because she worked the afternoon shift at the coffee shop. But she had taken the day off so that she would be able to work on the song, and help Speid lay down the guitar for Live Like Music. Plus Darius had announced that they would have a show at the Vinyl Palace that Friday, and they needed to make sure that their song was perfect, and this meant that Tommy had to spend more time on them, and less on his other artists. Jude was starting to see the effect that had.

"You've got to be kidding me!" The brown haired girl shouted coming out of Darius's office. "You're sending me to studio C, so some unknown group can work with my producer? Don't expect me to act happy about it." She yelled storming across the lobby, not stopping for anyone, or caring that everyone was watching.

Jude had tried not to look. She knew who it was, it was hard not to know her voice. It was one they often heard yelling about something, and it was a face that often sat in on their sessions with Tommy, but she couldn't help but look up when Tommy appeared a few moments later. She watched him as he made his way after her, not noticing Jude at all.

"And she isn't normally the drama queen around here." Mason Fox laughed approaching Jude. "You've certainly brought out a side of her I've never seen."

"Is she mad because we're using her studio time?" Jude wondered, still looking at the door the girl came storming out of. When she turned to look at the person speaking to her, she could feel a slight blush rise in her cheeks. She knew who he was, it would be hard not to.

Most of the artists she had met at G Major weren't Instant Star winners, those were the rare gems that seemed to come in to work when they wanted, record when they wanted, and do as they please. She had seen a few of them, passing by, but never actually spoken with any of them, until now that is.

"No, it's because she's sharing her producer. Karma isn't use to sharing him, at all." Mason smiled at the girl. "Mason Fox."

"Jude Harrison." Jude smiled at him nodding. She remembered watching the season he won, surprised the country boy won. "I don't understand, doesn't she always have to share Tommy, she can't be his only artist."

"She's not, but since he's been back, he's only written song with her, not someone else, not someone as pretty as you." Mason smiled, tipping his cowboy hat back slightly.

Jude could feel her cheeks burn redder at the compliment. "Thanks."

"Hey I call them as I see them." he laughed. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, just try to stay clear of her for awhile, give her some breathing room."

"Thanks for the warning." Jude nodded. "And it was nice meeting you." She said before heading towards the studio where the guys were waiting for her.

It was only moments later that Quincy joined them, the stress of the fight showing on his face. He seemed annoyed, and Jude couldn't figure how she was able to quickly label his emotions It was in the moment that she recalled the way he looked the first time he came into the coffee shop, his hair pulled out, eye brows closer together, lips turned down slightly. She couldn't help but wonder if it was Karma that had sent him fleeing from G Major that day, looking so much the same.

"Everything alright?" Jude wondered.

"Yeah, just dealing with some stuff." He sighed, throwing papers down on the soundboard, but the tone in his voice was enough to tell Jude it had to do with Karma. "How's that song coming?" he wondered, wanting to change the topic, knowing that she was already able to read him better than anyone else he knew. He had been trying to offer her support in writing her new song, the song she wanted to replace There's Us. He knew that she was struggling with it, but at the same time she didn't seem open or ready for his help. He knew that as an artist it would take time for her to warm up to the idea of getting that kind of help from him.

"I'm stuck, which isn't a surprise. I've got my sister barging in the apartment, the guys , Kat's fashion show, and Jamie breathing down my neck. I can't get anything done." Jude sighed, looking at the blanket notebook. "But it'll come to me, it just takes the right moment of inspiration to make everything fit together."

"Well then, let's get out of here and work on it." He laughed reaching for her hand. They both needed to get away from there, somewhere they would clear their heads and think.

Jude bit down on her lower lip. Being alone with Tommy was the last thing she needed right now. She couldn't think any clearer when he was in the room with her. That was apparent. But at the same time she knew she wanted to go with him, it was easier to be with him.

"Just don't take me back to the water, that's the last thing I need." Jude laughed. She knew that Tommy had meant well when he took her there, and it was fun, almost like a breakthrough for them. but the result of going somewhere that private with Tom Quincy wasn't good. Her picture had ended up in the magazine the next day, a new romance. She laughed at the idea, Sadie yelled at her, Jamie accused her of changing, and the guys just rolled around with laugher.


	17. Kung Fu Memories

I love Mason! I feel like he is well underrated and often times forgotten. So I can't wait to see how he turns out in this story, or what role he will play. I have always felt like him and Eden got lost somewhere in the show and never came back.

But I felt like today, being the extra special added day in the year, needed be to an update day. So I wrote a part just for this. I literately just wrote it after reading my last post. So I hope everyone has enjoyed their leap day!

* * *

><p>"If you poke me again, I'm going to get blood all of this." Jude warned, watching her best friend Kat in the mirror. Weeks ago she had promised to be a model for one of Kat's shows at school. For them it wasn't anything out of the norm. Jude loved her help her in any way she could, and Kat loved to use her as a Barbie doll.<p>

"And if I don't poke you again, this dress isn't going to fit you, and you'll expose yourself to the whole crowd." Kat warned, not looking up at her. She was concentrating hard on the pins she was placing in the side of the dress. "Not all publicity is good." She laughed lightly. In Kat's mind Jude was already a super star of some sort.

Jude wanted to laugh, but she had been warned enough times not to move. This was what felt like the first time since Tom Quincy and G Major has stepped into her life, that she had spent any time with her friend. Kat was always busy with school, and Jude was always busy with songs, and recording.

"You know, I'd really score big if a certain boy bander would show up to my show." Kat said, trying to make conversation. She knew that Jude would be able to tell she was joking by her tone.

"Not you too!" Jude said looking down at her, not at her in the mirror. "Sadie keeps hitting me up, I don't need it from you."

"I'm kidding Jude, Tom Quincy isn't much for fashion anyways." Kat laughed. "But you sure do seem defensive."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jude tried to brush the subject off, looking back up at herself in the mirror.

"Jude Elizabeth Harrison!" Kat squeaked, standing up. "You like him!" she accused, knowing her friend.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jude shook her head. There was no way she liked Tommy, he was annoying, and pushy, and conceded. Plus there was still the one fact, the one simple thing that stuck out more than anything else, he had a girlfriend. Jude had made a rule long ago not to like anyone that was seeing someone else, it was one of the many band codes she lived by.

"Yeah, right." Kay laughed shaking her head. "This would explain why Jamie has been so, oh I don't know, Jamie."

"What are you talking about?" Jude hadn't seen Jamie in a few days, and every time he had called her, she had been at the studio with Tommy. She hadn't been trying to blow him off, but they were both busy living different lives.

"He's planning on bursting through the door soon just to make sure that you're still you. You know how Jamie is when it comes to you." Kat rolled her eyes. There had been a bitter time in their friendship, a time when Jamie and Kat had dated, and things hadn't worked out for them. "Remember how he was so sure you were trying to fit in better with Sadie when you went back to being blonde?"

"I went back to being a blonde because I couldn't keep dying my hair red when I was traveling." Jude rolled her eyes. She had had a hard time being around Jamie in those days, and she could see how he was turning back into that person. He was her best best friend in the whole world, but he was over protective, obsessive, and often times too opinionated for Jude's liking. But he had always been there for her, and she loved him for that.

"I know this, and so does everyone else. But you know Jamie, it takes him a little longer to get things." Kat smiled.

"I know, I know." Jude sighed. "He's really that worried?"

"He's more than worried, you should have seen him when that picture of you and Tommy Q came out. I thought he was going to choke on his own tongue." Kat laughed.

"He's our producer, what does he expect, that I don't work with him at all?" Jude asked, more to herself than to Kat. Because even if she wouldn't admit it, both Jamie and Kat could read her facial expressions better than anyone.

"I don't think he expected you to look so happy, while you're working with him." Kat offered. "It's all over your face, I'm surprised no one else has pointed this out to you."

"Pointed what out extacly?" Jude asked. "That I'm mature enough to get along with someone that I might not like?"

"Funny," she pretended to laugh. "Pointing out the fact that you like this guy."

"I don't. Honestly Kat, I don't." she demanded her friend believe her.

"You can't fool me, I've known you far too long for that." Kat smiled before turning away from her to retrieve more pins from her bag.

Jude huffed in annoyance. She wanted to prove Kat wrong. There was no way she liked Tommy Q from Boys Attack. There was no way because he had been in a boy band, his music wasn't real, and he wore more hair gel in a single day than she did in a whole month. She didn't like him! That was that, and she just needed to prove it.

But like Kat had said, it was only moments later that Jamie appeared in the loft apartment, take out in one hand a old kung fu movies in the other. Jude could see the boy she had known her whole life standing there, the dorky boy with glasses and a blue spot in his hair. The Jamie that started to grow, wear his hair differently, and act more grown up.

"I thought this would be a good way to end the day." He said.

"Kung fu, and Chinese." Jude laughed. "Two things that go well together."

"Classy, really." Kat laughed as well. "But I agree, we could us a trip down memory lane."

It was true, this is what Jude needed. She use to spend so much of her free time with her friends, but she left like that time was slipping away, and they were starting to move in different directions, Kat with her fashion, Jamie with his college, and Jude with her music. She needed this, she needed them just like so many times before.


	18. Coming Together

I've spent all break doing other things, because I was still sifting through songs trying to find the right one, the one that fits the best. And I think I finally found the right song. So with Gossip Girl playing in the background and a cup of hot coffee and my hand, I can proudly give you more.

* * *

><p>She felt like she had spent the last week locked up with him, even when she was at the coffee shop, he was there, working on a song. Even now, she found herself sitting in an oversized white chair in the corner of his office. The song was coming along, slowly. Even he was having a hard time finding the right idea for the song.<p>

"Tommy I want to-" Karma stopped mid sentence, taking in the scene before her.

Tommy's office was tidy as always, minus the fact that Jude's jacket was thrown over a chair, and both of her boots were sitting across the room from where she was comfortably cuddled into the chair, a pad of paper resting in her lap, and a guitar leaning on the chair.

Jude looked up in surprise. Tommy had left to pick up lunch nearly twenty minutes ago. She was sure he would have been back by then.

"What are you doing in here?" Karma asked, taken back.

Jude looked down at her paper and back up at Karma. "We're working on a song. Tommy just stepped out of grab some lunch. He should be back any minute."

"You're working on a song, alone?" Karma asked. The two of them had never been officially introduced, but knew who the other woman was.

"Yeah, I sort of write my own music." Jude told her, unsure of what she was trying to get at.

"I thought you did that with the suffer spider boy." Karma still looked like she was trying to process what fact that someone other than her was allowed in Tommy's office.

"His name is Speiderman, and he only helps me sometimes." Jude explained. "Tommy wants this to be a good one, the single I guess."

"That's so very sweet of my boyfriend." The way the word sounded didn't seem to fit Karma's lips, almost like she was forced to say it.

"It is, he's been really great helping us get started." Jude gave her a soft smile. Maybe Mason had been right, maybe Karma wasn't the one she needed to worry about. She seemed nice enough, a little ticked that she had lost her producer, which was understandable. "Do you want to stay and hang out until he gets back, maybe even help?" she wondered.

Karma looked around the room. Everything about it screamed Tommy. There wasn't a picture in site, nothing to show that this was his office, other than his name, and a faint scent of his cologne.

"No, I'll go call him." She said before turning on her heel and leaving Jude to her paper.

Jude couldn't put her finger on it, but she was sure that she got the impression that Karma didn't like her. She tried to replay every encounter they had had, including that one, to see if she had done something to earn his distaste. But she couldn't come up with anything. And she was so far into thinking, that she didn't notice when Tommy had returned with food in hand.

"Hey big eyes." He said, trying to get her attention, her eyes focused on a spot on the wall.

"Oh, sorry." Jude said shaking her head, to try and rid herself of the zone out. "I had a run in with your girlfriend." She sighed, pushing herself out of the chair, and going towards his desk and the food.

"My girlfriend?" Tommy wanted to laugh. That was something that would never sound right to him. Him having a girl friend, it was laughable. And hearing those strange words, on her lips, it didn't seem to fit either.

"Karma, I don't think she likes me very much." Jude sighed, reached for one of the white container boxes. She didn't wait for him to tell her which ones she could have, or what he wanted, she just took whatever was closest. "I've hardly spoken to her, but girls know when girls don't like you."

"Karma doesn't like anyone that can out sing her." Tommy laughed.

"Her voice isn't that bad." Jude tried to hold back a laugh. It wasn't in her to say something mean about anyone she didn't know, and the truth was that her voice wasn't bad, it was the songs she did, and the way she acted that changed who she was as an artist. "She just needs sex to sell her stuff." She whispered, instantly wondering if this would upset Tommy, only to look up and see him laughing with a mouth full.

"And you don't?" Tommy asked, it wasn't in a way that he was degrading her, it was more as though he was making sure she didn't feel that way about herself, about her music.

"Nope, if I did I wouldn't be here, or I would have been here a long time ago." Jude laughed. "I hope that I'll be better than that."

"You will be, if you ever get this song done." Tommy laughed, nodding towards the empty pad of paper. "Still nothing?"

"I don't get it, normally it's not this hard." Jude sighed, leaning back into the chair, taking a carton of food with her, chop sticks in hand. They had written things over the last few days, but nothing that seemed right, nothing that stuck.

"Maybe you're putting too much thought into it. When you write a song, it needs to be real, and from your heart, it's not something we can just force out of us."

"I'm not trying to force anything, I'm just trying to will it out?" Jude said timidly.

"A song, it's like a story, you've got to have all the pieces in order to tell the story." Tommy smiled at her. He could tell that the wheels in her head were starting to move, sometimes it only took the right words to open things up.

Jude sat there, studying his face, while he looked over something, his desk was filled with paper work, something that seemed to be common in all the offices. She needed to write a story, something with all the right parts, something that was real, true. The longer she seemed the stare at him, the more the song formed in her head, the words, quickly becoming a chorus, ideas turning into verses. She needed to find Speid, and quickly.

"I've got to go." Jude said putting the food down, and crossing the room for her things. She didn't want to lose her thoughts, but she didn't want to share them with Tommy, not yet.

"Need help?" Tommy was already standing, knowing she had something in her head, a tune.

"No." she said quickly, not bothering to take the time to put her boots on. Speid was in the building somewhere, she just needed to find him. "I'll see you later."

Tommy sighed disappointed, he wanted to go with her, he wanted to hear what she had come up with.

"I found you!" Jude said bursting through the doors to stud C, the small place they retreated to when they needed to practice while someone else was in the studio.

"Uh Dude." Speid said raising his eyebrows and pointing at the other people in the room with them.

It wasn't Kyle and Wally, like Jude had been expecting. It was the girl from the front desk, Jude could never remember her name, and another girl Jude was sure she hadn't seen before. And of course her sister.

"Sadie?" Jude asked, dropping her bag near the door, looking at her sister in disbelief. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I came to see my favorite little sister." Sadie said standing up and looking Jude up and down. Jude always felt like she was sizing her up.

"I'm your only little sister." Jude muttered as Sadie gave her a fake hug. "So what are you really doing here Sadie?"

"Stacey is the receptionist, and shares a room with my big sis." Sadie gave Jude an evil look before smiling at the girls behind her. "We were out at lunch, and I wanted to stop by and see how you're doing."

"Seriously, Sadie." Jude shook her head. She gave up trying to be nice a long time ago, she learned the hard way with her sister. "I'm fine, and busy. So there, you got your answer, you can leave now." Jude nodded towards the door, crossing her arms in front of her. She glanced over at Speid and to shoot him daggers. He knew better, they all knew better than to welcome Sadie into their place of work.

"Not even going to give me a tour?" Sadie's smile became tight, she didn't like the way Jude was treating her in front of her friends. She knew this would go back to the house, and she'd be the girl they were all whispering about.

"Sadie we've been over this. I've got a song to write, and since you're such good friends with Stacey, she can give you a tour." Jude opened the door behind her. She didn't want to lose the words in her head, the tune she already felt. But it was hard to keep thinking about it, when she was having a showdown with her sister.

"Fine." Sadie said reaching for her purse. "We'll leave you to it." She nodded at her friends before leaving.

Jude shut the door hard when the last girl stepped out. "Seriously!" she shouted turning back around to look at her friend. "What the hell were you thinking! You should have warned me she was here, or better yet, you should have told her to leave!"

"Dude!" Speid laughed. "Calm down, they were looking around for you, so I thought I could get them in here, bore them, and make them leave. I'm not like you, I can't just kick your sister out, plus she was with that Stacey girl."

"Fine, fine." Jude threw her hands up. This wasn't why she came here, this wasn't what she needed him for. "I've got it." She whispered, looking up at him through her bangs. She could feel the giddiness taking over.

"Yeah?" Speid knew right away what she was talking about. "All of it?"

"Almost." She smiled reaching for the guitar. "The music isn't perfect, but the words, are just about ready."

"Well you came to the right guy." Speid laughed.

Jude knew that she could count on him, she could always count on him to be there when she needed him, weather it was for their music, or anything else, he was


	19. Fighting Perfection

"So, what do you think?" Jude asked when they finished playing the song. She couldn't read his face, she couldn't tell right away if he thought it was good, good enough. She and the boys had spent the last 36 hours locked away in their apartment with Jamie, working out every part of the song. When they had finished it she felt so proud and light, even though she was sure it was mostly from the lack of sleep. She hadn't wanted to let Tommy down, or anyone for that matter.

"Can I get a copy of those lyrics?" he asked through the microphone.

Jude could feel the tears fill her eyes instantly. He didn't like it, it wasn't good enough, all the thoughts of rejection started to swallow her up. She knew that she was more emotional than normal, due to not getting any sleep, but she was so sure that it was perfect.

"Harrison?" Tommy called, trying to catch her eye.

"Right." Jude nodded. "Sorry, zoned out." She tried to play it off. She didn't want to be one of those artists, the ones that cried every time they were given any form of criticism. She could do this. She could be that girl that she pictured in her head, the one that didn't get hurt feelings, but took what they said, and made things better. With a quick nod of her head, clearing out all unwanted feelings, she prepared herself to become the person she wanted to be, the musician she wanted to be. "Do you want the chords too?"

"Yeah, the whole thing." Tommy said watching her gather the papers he asked for.

She could do this, she wouldn't go fight with him, it was his ass on the line too. He had to make all their songs great, it was his job. With a deep breath she stepped through the door frame and set the papers on the soundboard, keeping her eyes on the hundreds of knobs. She gave a slight smile of the engineer, Zach.

"That's what you've been working on?" Zach asked with a surprised kind of smile.

"Yeah, it just finally fell into place after Tommy told me to stop thinking so much." Jude gave a nervous laugh. She took a chance to look over at Tommy, who was scribbling things on her papers, change words. She could tell that he was trying to play the music over in his head, rematch it to different words.

"Grab your guitar." Tommy ordered, not looking up from the papers.

Jude was seated in a matter of seconds with her guitar on her lap, waiting for Tommy to tell her to play, but when he didn't pay her any attention, she started at the beginning of the song, just the way she had played it with Spied in the loft.

"No." Tommy's head snapped up. "Stop." He sighed reaching for the guitar.

Jude wanted to snap at him the moment his hand stopped the strings on her guitar, but she had to hold it back, choke it back down and wait.

"You sing, I play." Tommy told her, his face hard to read. He was in producer mode, not the Tommy mode that Jude was use to.

Jude looked down at the paper he handed her, seeing his pencil marks all over the page, more than she had expected. "Hold on." She wasn't so sure she could hold it back longer. "Want to tell me what is wrong with my song, since you've ripped it apart?"

Jude could tell that Tommy was doing his best to not start yelling at her, but something about her expression was going to set him off.

"I didn't rip anything apart, I made it better." Tommy said with a tight expression. "All songs need work, that's why artists need producers."

"You didn't change The Music, so why are you changing this one?" Jude asked throwing the papers back at him. This was what she had wanted to avoid, she didn't want to fight with him over a song. She wanted to be the girl that could except criticism.

"The Music didn't need it, this one does." Tommy shouted back at her. It only took a few simple exchanges before the two started to yell back and forth with each other, not noticing when the others slipped out of the booth and away from the studio, leaving them to the back and forth exchange.

"Think this is going to happen a lot?" Kyle asked, as the three boys stood, arms crossed, watching through the glass as Jude and Tommy fought.

"Well, she is Jude." Wally sighed before turning around to pack up his bass.

Spiederman stood, while the other two started to pack up their things, watching them. It wasn't often that he saw Jude like this. He knew that this was the start, he could tell just by watching her. She was his Lisa after all.


	20. Blackmail

Jude laughed at some joke as she walked out of studio A. They were laying down new tracks for the song they had been working on. After a lot of fight over words, they had finally stopped and both agreed that the song was perfect.

It was late, she had come to the studio when she had gotten off at the coffee shop, bringing coffee and pizza with her. All the boys were happy to see her arrive with food, and Tommy was happy for the coffee and the help managing the boys.

But as she washed her hands in the ladies room, she heard the bathroom door open, looking up to see Karma behind her. She had been dreading the moment they would run into each other.

"Jude Harrison." The girl said through a fake smile.

"Karma, I didn't know you were working tonight." Jude said, being honest. She couldn't fake it.

"I'm not, I came here to talk to you." Karma crossed her arms in front of her.

"Sure, what's up?" Jude asked, turning to look at her.

"I want my producer back, name your price." Karma told her, and Jude couldn't help but laugh, she thought she was joking. But her laugher died when she saw she was being serious.

"You're kidding." Jude offered, wondering if she was being punked.

"I'm not." Karma said her. "I see the way you look at Tommy, my Tommy, and I'm here to make a deal with you, to get him back where he belongs."

"Karma I didn't ask for Tommy to produce us, and you don't have anything I want." Jude told her, trying to get past the girl, but couldn't.

"Okay, then I'll make it simple. You're going to tell Tommy that you'd rather work with someone else, take it up with Darius, Kwest is a better fit. I don't care how you go about it, but do it." Karma told her. "Then I won't have to ruin your career."

"I don't think you could." Jude told her shaking her head.

"Jude Harrison, girl who choked before the final round of Instant Star, I'm sure Eden would have a hay day if she knew." Karma told her. "Look it's nothing personally, I just want to producer back."

Jude could feel a lump form in her throat. She knew that it was only a matter of time before someone put the two together. She might be blonde now, but that didn't change much. "Fine, I'll talk to Darius in the morning." She whispered.

"I knew you'd see it my way." Karma smiled. "Oh and your song sounds really good, seriously, it's going to be a hit." She told her before leaving the bathroom.

Jude felt sick as she went back to the studio. Could she work the rest of the night without thinking about what she had to do?

The next morning came faster than she wanted it too, and she was in Darius's office before Tommy was even in the office.

"What's this about?" Darius wondered.

"I'd like to go back to working with Kwest." Jude whispered. "I think he was a better fit for the EP."

Darius thought for a moment, studying the girls face. He knew what Tommy could be like as a producer, and he knew Tommy's reputation with blondes. He should have seen this coming.

"Did he do something?" Darius asked.

"No!" Jude said quickly, seeing the way Darius was taking her request. She should have seen it coming, other people at the labeled had even warned her about Tommy's past history with artists. "I just really think that Kwest is a better fit, I mean Tommy is good, great even."

"If you really think Kwest is a better fit, I'll do you this one favor." Darius said before dismissing her from the room.

On the way out of the office, Jude caught site of Tommy coming into the building, she couldn't make herself smile at him. She felt as though she had betrayed him, in a way that made her feel like the bad guy. She knew that even as she walked out of Darius's office, he was still taking her request the wrong way, and it was only a matter of time before that information got back to Tommy.


	21. Back Fire

"Wait, you fired Quincy, from _our_ album?" Wally asked as the group stood in the studio. "Without talking to us about it?" All three of the boys couldn't seem to understand what their lead singer was telling them. It was so unlike her to do this without even confiding in one of them first.

"That's going too far, we're a band." Kyle said in protest. He has expected that Speid would have known, they were always closer, but by the shock on even his face he knew it was a surprise to all of them.

"I had to, I'm sorry." Jude shouted back at them. She knew they would be mad, because they all knew that Tommy really was the best. He was making them better. But she wasn't sure she could explain it right, because deep down she knew it was childish and self centered.

"I don't understand." Speid said shaking his head, trying to not make it into a big deal. In order to help her, he needed to understand her, and that was something that anyone rarely could do. "Did something happen? You seemed fine last night." He knew that she wouldn't be able to lie to them, they would see right through her, they always did.

"She knew." Jude said nodding towards the window, Tommy had just come out of Darius's office, at first his eyes had been glued on the studio where Jude was, but then when Karma went to hug him he seemed to put it all together. She could tell that he had figured it all out.

"What?" Speid asked, coming to stand next to her. "Who knew?"

"Karma knows who I am." Jude sighed turning away from the window. She didn't want to watch them together, but she wasn't sure she wanted to watch her band mates faces either. The guilt was already bubbling up in her stomach. "She said she would keep it a secret if I fired Tommy from the album."

"She black mailed you, and you took it?" Kyle asked. "That doesn't sound like you."

"They are all going to figure it out sooner or later, that Eden chick can't be away forever. She'll remember you for sure." Wally sighed.

"How'd she even know?" Speid asked. "Everyone that worked here before Darius took over is gone, other than Eden and a few other producers. But none of them had anything to do with Instant Star."

"I don't know, but I'm going for later rather than sooner." Jude said turning back around to face the window, she could see Tommy and Karma still talking, Tommy didn't look pleased. "I'd like to have a plan in place for when she does come back, and Karma wasn't giving me much of a choice." She sighed. When she noticed that Tommy was on the move she turned around quickly. She tried to make herself look busy as he made his way towards them, towing Karma behind him.

"Hey, don't you knock?" Speid tried to joke, he could feel the tension rise the second Tommy came through the door.

"You want to tell me what the hell is going on?" Tommy shouted, staring at Jude, his cheeks red with anger.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Jude shook her head, taking a step back. She tried to go over the conversation that she had with Darius in her head, wanting to make sure she hadn't said anything that would lead to this, but she knew how Darius had taken it, she knew the moment the words left her mouth that suspicion leaked into his mind.

"Yeah, because me suddenly being off your album, at your request, you wouldn't have any idea what that's about, would you." Tommy shouted, his anger bubbling through, his hands flying into the air.

"Hey, no need for anger." Speid told him, stepping in front of Jude a little, trying to block her from the words, unsure of what else could happen. "The dude just did what she thought was best for the group."

"What'd you say to her Karma?" Tommy asked one last time, turning to look at the girl he brought into the room with him. He knew that she had something to do with it. She was to happy this morning, and she knew before he even had the chance to tell her.

"Nothing, I already told you, and she did too." Karma said trying to look innocent, but only appearing to be bored.

"This was a big opportunity for me Karma, and you screwed that up because of your own insecurities." Tommy said letting go of her arm. "One of you got what you wanted, I'm off this album, but I'm not going back to yours." Tommy said pointing at Karma.

The group watched as Tommy stormed back out of the room he had just entered, slamming the door hard behind him, making the glass shake in its frame.

"That didn't go as planned." Karma sighed, hands on her hips, watching Tommy storm down a hall.

"Blackmail never does." Speid whispered patting the girl on her shoulder, only to have her swat it away.

"Ugh, fine, take him back, anything so he won't be so mad." Karma throw her arms up before leaving as well.

"Wait, I'm confused, who's producing us?" Wally asked.

"Lord Squinty Frown, for sure." Speid nodded. "He's just that good, even if King Kwest is better." He laughed.

The boys watched as Jude took her time going after Tommy.

She found him in his office. "Can I come in?" she asked. "I'm sorry okay, I didn't realize it meant so much to you."

"It's not your fault. She can just be so selfish sometimes, she doesn't think about anyone but herself, she's never had to." He pulled at his hair, leaving it the way it was when he first walked into the coffee shop, and she knew that Karma seemed to be the main source for his stress.

"She just wants you back, sharing something special to hard."

"But it's not like she's the only artist I've ever worked with." Tommy sighed, sitting down on his desk, while Jude came and leaned against it.

"Doesn't make it any easier. Girls, we're complicated in simple ways." Jude offered.

"You going to keep me fired?" he asked, looking over at her, his shoulder touching hers.

"I don't think I could even if I wanted to. The guys were pretty pissed." She laughed. She was glad that he wasn't mad at her.

"Good, because we've got a song to finish." Tommy said putting his arm around her a giving her a side hug.


	22. I Quit

I got married? Had a baby? No, I have no real excuse for being gone. I was lazy and didn't want to write anything. That and it was the end of preschool and graduating 35 kids its a lot of work. So without anymore waiting, here we go...

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think?" Jude asked as Jamie took the ear bud out. She wanted him to hear the song the second it was finished, she always wanted to hear his opinion. She could tell that he was thinking something, the way he shifted on his feet, and chewed on his lip.<p>

"You changed it, a lot." Jamie said looking up at her. Jamie had been in the apartment the first day they worked on the song, the day Jude drug everyone back from G Major so they could work out all the kinks without being heard by anyone. He had thought it sounded great by the end of the day, it sounded like them. But now, hearing it, he knew it wasn't the same song, it didn't feel the same.

"Well yeah, I made it better, Tommy and I made it better." She smiled. She wanted to laugh. She had thought that Jamie would be able to see the difference, see how it was better know. She had been so surprised working with Tommy, that he was real, not some cookie cutter music guy. She had thought it would be all pop and fake music with him. But he had surprised her, he had helped her. "Tommy thinks it's great."

"Little Tommy Q from Boys Attack?" Jamie laughed back at her, making her stomach drop. "You've got to be kidding Jude, this is going to ruin you, this is going to make you some fake wanna be."

"Jamie." Jude whispered, his words hurt like a knife.

"Your song was good before, because it was yours, it was all you. But this, this is something the prep squad would listen to." He rolled his eyes.

The tears were stinging her eyes, but she wouldn't cry in front of him, not now. She had wanted Jamie's approval, he had always loved everything she had done before, always been supportive of her.

"I told you not to let them change you, and they are! You're changing, and for what? A booty shaker from some boy band! You're better than this Jude, you're music is better than this."

She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down, to keep the tears from falling. "Don't bother coming tonight."

"Excuse me?" Jamie asked. "You've got to be kidding, this is the song you're going to perform?" he asked. "Jude I've always been able to be honest with you before, that all I'm trying to do now."

"You've always liked my music before," Jude looked up at him, allowing him to see the pain he was causing her. "You're my best friend Jamie, but right now, just don't, don't bother."

"Jude!" Jamie called after her as she walked out of the coffee shop. He knew that she was headed to the concert house, she had to go on in less than an hour.

Jude stood in the dressing room, pacing. She was upset, she was more than upset, she was hurt. Jamie had hurt her. He couldn't see how much she needed this, how much she needed his support. He had let her down, and she didn't know how to handle that from Jamie, it was something that hardly happened before. She stopped when she heard a knock at the door, a smiling pulling at her lips when she saw him.

"Can I have your autograph?" he chuckled. He could see the stress in her eyes, as he made his way towards her. "You should be happy about this, what's going on?" he wondered, feeling his knees brush hers.

"Just friend drama." She sighed.

"Hey, for what it's wroth, I went through friend stuff too, but it all works out for the best." He smiled for her, placing his hand on her arm. "Look, if you want to talk about it I'm here for you. It's part of the job."

"I know." Jude smiled, feeling him lean closer to her. She wanted to laugh at herself as she looked up at him. His eyes holding the comfort that she needed at that moment. But before she was able to process what she was doing, her lips were pressed against his. When she pulled back it only took a second for the horror and guilt to fill her face.

"Jude." He whispered apologetically. "I have a girlfriend."

She wasn't listening to him, her own mind was in overdrive. What had she just done?

"Dude, let's go!" Speid shouted, coming in the room. "It's time."

"I'm such an idiot." She whispered, looking at him, tears filling her eyes instantly. "What was I thinking, how could I never begin to like someone like you, you're everything I hate about music!"

"Easy!" Tommy sighed, knowing her words were coming from a place of pain.

"You made me change my songs!" Jude wanted to scream at him, hit him, anything.

"Don't give me that, I helped you make them better! You know that, you said it yourself." He told her.

"Jude!" Speiderman shouted. "Now!"

"Okay." Jude said looking up at Tommy one last time before reaching for her guitar. This changed everything, everything she thought she knew.

"Performing for the first time, Jude and the Mind Explosion!" someone shouted and Jude could hear it as she walked down the hall way.

It only took her seconds to get to stage, to find her band, to change the song they were going to play. It took that one kiss with Tom Quincy to change her life.

"What is she doing?" Kwest asked from the sound controls. Jude had opened up with The Music, the song Tommy thought could be their first single, then they were suppose to play the song they had been working on, the song Jude wrote, but this wasn't that song.

"What?" Tommy asked looking up at the stage. This wasn't the song the they practiced, the one they had rehearsed, this was something different, something he hadn't heard before.

"I don't even know this one!" Kwest sighed, unsure of how to handle this, trying to change levels the best her could.

Tommy wanted to pull the plug, to make it stop. This wasn't professional, but the smile on Darius's face meant he couldn't do anything but wait and see how it all turned out.

_Da Da Da Da Da Da_  
><em>Da Da Da Da Da Da<em>

_What just happened?_  
><em>Did you kiss me?<em>  
><em>Cause that's a place we've never been until now<em>

_And I don't know how it's gonna be after this_  
><em>Do we pretend these feelings don't exist at all<em>  
><em>Or do we fall?<em>

_My confusion shows whenever you get so close_  
><em>I stumble, I stutter, forget what to say<em>  
><em>I'm nervous, I wonder why I'm acting this way<em>

_It's temporary insanity_  
><em>What's going on with you and me?<em>  
><em>Is it real or is it fantasy?<em>  
><em>Forever or just temporary?<em>

_Woah, oh, oh (insanity)_  
><em>Woah, oh, oh<em>

_You made a moved and changed your mind_  
><em>Too much to lose, you've crossed the line between friends<em>  
><em>And something more<em>

_Was it all a big mistake?_  
><em>And if it was, it's much too late to undo<em>  
><em>And I don't really want to<em>

_Let you go but I still don't know_  
><em>How I feel about you<em>  
><em>What this really means<em>  
><em>It's crazy to want you<em>  
><em>Is it meant to be?<em>

_It's temporary insanity_  
><em>What's going on with you and me?<em>  
><em>Is it real or is it fantasy?<em>  
><em>Forever or just temporary?<em>

_It's temporary insanity_  
><em>What's going on with you and me?<em>  
><em>Is it real or is it fantasy?<em>  
><em>Forever or just temporary?<em>

_Woah, oh, oh (insanity)_  
><em>Woah, oh, oh<em>

_Oh, what you do to me?_  
><em>What comes over me, oh?<em>  
><em>If this is crazy there's nothing I'd rather be<em>

_Da Da Da Da Da Da_  
><em>Da Da Da Da Da Da<em>  
><em>Da Da Da Da Da Da<em>

_It's temporary insanity_  
><em>What's going on with you and me?<em>  
><em>Is it real or is it fantasy?<em>  
><em>Forever or just temporary?<em>

_It's temporary insanity_  
><em>What's going on with you and me?<em>  
><em>Is it real or is it fantasy?<em>  
><em>Forever or just temporary?<em>

_Losing my mind_  
><em>Losing my mind<em>  
><em>Losing my mind<em>

_Losing my mind_  
><em>Losing my mind<em>  
><em>Losing my mind<em>

_Da Da Da Da Da Da_  
><em>Da Da Da Da Da Da<em>  
><em>Da Da Da Da Da Da<em>

It was easy for Jude to forget why she was sad, why she had changed the song last minute. The crowd loved it. She loved it. She could feel it as they played. But as the song came to an end, the one person she didn't want to see was the only one she could pick out in the crowd. It made it easier for her to give him back the guitar, and tell him that she done. She quit. This wasn't what she wanted to do, not this way, and not with him.

The coffee shop was her go to place. The one place where everything else made sense, or at least it use to be that place. She wanted to run and lock the doors when she saw his viper pull up. She wanted to hide from him, but it was too late.

"Jude if I lead you on…"

"Don't, please." Jude sighed. She didn't want to hear it. She didn't want to think about it.

"Working on a song is like falling in love. At first it's a rush, but then it gets painful. Sometimes you've got to walk away. But sometimes you come out of it with something beautiful. Change can be good Jude, you want proof just listen." He slide a CD over to her and watched as she turned it over and over in her hands. "Don't quit because you're it girl, you're the real thing. You're even better." He whispered. He knew it was wrong to talk to her like this, to tell her these things, but he needed her to know.

She couldn't say anything to him.

"I'll see you in the studio, Monday morning." He smiled at her before leaving.


	23. Innocent Bliss

If I was a ninja I would be the boss! It would be so cool, I could pick cherries, go swimming, keep my relationship alive, end world hunger, find lost money to help with the trillion dollars of debt, and write more. But I swear when I wrote this I felt like it was really long, and then I checked and it wasn't. I'll try harder next time. But someone said update, and so I am.

* * *

><p>"You quit?" Wally asked, watching as Jude paced the length of the loft. The three boys had just figured that she was out celebrating when she took off after the show, they themselves were too busy to really worry about her, until they returned to 620 and found her.<p>

"Does this mean all of us quit?" Kyle asked.

"No one's quitting!" Speid shouted. In the last few days he had watched it all start, Jude falling apart, it was something he had seen happen over and over again.

"Play it again." Jude sighed, looking up and waiting for one of them to press play on the song they had preformed that night. It was nearly three in the morning, but none of them could sleep.

"You could listen to it a million times and it won't change anything." Speid sighed. "Dude, you can't do this." He whispered. "We need this, all of us."

"Yeah." Wally and Kyle chimed in.

"I know, don't you think I know that?" Jude shouted. She had thought about it for hours, ever since Tommy had told her she was the real deal. "But this isn't the way it should happen, we shouldn't have to sell out."

"Sell out?" Speid asked.

"You sound like Andrews." Kyle shook his head. "Is he the one that started all this? The one that got you upset before the show?"

Jude had been upset when she showed up at the Vinyl Palace, but Tommy had upset her before taking the stage, and both of them left Jude wondering if she was losing herself.

"What did he do?" Speid asked, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I swear I'll kick his geeky ass."

Jude shook her head. "No, he was right, I'm letting them change me, I'm letting them change our music."

"No one is changing our music Jude, you're just writing better." Wally smiled at her. "Not everything we do is going to be a hit, and that's going to be okay."

"But Jamie." Jude sighed.

"Will get over himself." Speid took her hand. "Dude, he's just scared of getting left behind. And let's face it, we're taking off, fast and good."

"It's true," Kyle agreed, Wally nodding.

"So we're not quitting?" Spied smiled.

"No, I guess we're not." Jude laughed. She couldn't do that to her band, they needed this.

As the group finally started to die down, settling into their normal nightly routine, Speid found himself falling into bed next to Jude.

"Speid." Jude whined, trying to push him away. "Sleep in your own bed."

"Jude." He whispered, making her suddenly aware that this was a serious conversation. They didn't happen often, Speid didn't like being serious, it wasn't his style. But he knew that this was the moment for one, for their band and their friendship.

"Yeah?" Jude asked.

"That song." Speid wanted to leave it open. He didn't like asking questions like this, not because Jude was his ex, but because he was a guy, and she was a girl and this felt like something Kat should be asking her.

Jude left out a moan and buried herself in her pillows, pulling the blanket over her face to try and keep her memory private. She didn't want the whole world knowing about the kiss, she didn't even want to think about it. But she knew she was going to lie there all night, thinking. "I will take full responsibility for playing something that wasn't on the list." She hadn't given much thought into how mad Darius would be with them. She didn't want them getting into anymore trouble because of her.

"I'm not worried about getting in trouble. Everyone at the show loved the song, it's a hit. I'm worried about the reason for the change in song." Speid admitted. "Jude, if there is something going on there, that's making you Crazy Jude, you've got to tell me. I'm me, I'm your Bart."

Jude knew she needed to tell him, for the band she needed to tell him, but she couldn't. "What's going on where?" she asked, playing innocent always seemed to work.

"Jude!" Speid moaned back, not wanting to spell it out anymore.

"Honestly Speid I don't know what you're talking about. I changed the song because I thought that it had a better sound, we sounded better playing it than the stuffy version of The Music." Jude answered, hoping it would be enough.

"Really, that's all?" Speid asked.

"Yeah, that's all. You know I'd tell you more if there was more to tell." She couldn't look at him when she smiled. She looked at the chalk drawing directly above his right ear instead. "Now get out of my bed, some of us have real jobs tomorrow too."


	24. Full Deal

I've hit a wall and am in the need for inspiration. So please, if you want more share something anything!

* * *

><p>Jude and Speid hadn't even made it too hospitably for coffee before Darius called their names across the lobby, making them both freeze and their heart stops.<p>

"My office, now!" he ordered.

"He doesn't sound happy." Speid whispered.

"I'll take all the blame." Jude shot him a warning look before going into the office. She was sure that Kwest, Tommy, or anyone else had ratted her out, showing that she sang a song that no one else had heard before, that she didn't listen to Tommy. This was the only thing that it could be about, that she was sure of. They hadn't worked there long enough to fully know the way that Darius worked, but they knew enough to know that being called into his office was never a good thing. When she had gotten out of bed that morning, she was sure the only thing she needed to worry about was facing Tommy, she hadn't even put any thought into the real boss.

"Good morning." she made herself smile, wishing she had brought coffee with her.

"What's up Boss Man?" Speid asked as they entered the office, seeing Tommy already seated in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk. This wasn't a good sign, and he knew it. Tommy could have easily told him that the song they played Friday night wasn't the one they had been expecting. In fact that was what Speid was expecting from Tommy, from Darius.

"The word is in from the show." Darius said as the two teens sat down, Speid in the chair and Jude on the arm. "I've got news."

"Good news?" Jude asked in a whisper. This didn't seem to be right, he wasn't yelling at them, but he didn't look happy. She was sure that if he was angry with her, with them, he wouldn't be sitting there looking back at her right now.

He paused for a moment, his face cold as stone, and Jude could feel her heart drop, it wasn't good news. But he was a lot more angry than he was showing.

"I want a full album!" his laugh filled the air, he got a kick out of doing that to the artists, making them shake with fear.

"What?" Jude asked shooting up from her chair. She couldn't believe it, they had done it, they had broken through. She looked over at Tommy and saw him nodding in agreement, that half smile pulling at his lips.

"An album, an actually album!" Speid shouted, standing up and grabbing Jude, wrapping his arms around her waist and twirling her around. "We did it, you did it!" he laughed in her ear.

Tommy didn't like seeing them so close, he wanted to be the one hugging her, swinging her around, sharing her excitement. But after the kiss he knew he had to keep his distance.

"This is so great, thank you so much D!" Jude said when Speid let her go. "This is amazing!"she said laughing hugging him as well. He suddenly didn't seem as scary anymore.

"Thank me when you're topping the charts!" he laughed. "Now go give me another hit!"

The group left the office together, still raveling in the news.

"It's great news Jude, I'm really excited for you guys." Tommy smiled at her as Speid skipped off ahead of them. He could feel the awkward air between them.

"Yeah, thanks." Jude nodded, looking down at her feet. When she looked back up at him she had her head tilted to one side. "Look about Friday." She knew that something needed to be said, something more. They were going to have to talk about if, now that they were making a full album. The thought of a full album made her smile, and the butterflies in her stomach twist and turn. This moment was something they had all waited for for so long. Friday seemed so far away now.

"Hey, we don't have to worry about it, remember?" he smiled, remembering the short talk they had Friday night. He didn't want to talk about, he didn't want to even think about.

"Right." Jude nodded, relieved he wanted to leave it at that, but also feeling like she needed to say more, explain more. But she couldn't. She had wanted to leave it the way it was, and so did he. "I've got to go call my dad, he's going to be stoked."

"Yeah, sure thing girl. Congratulations again." Tommy told her. He didn't want to see her go, he wanted to stay with her and watch as her face lit up with excitement each time she thought about it. But he knew he couldn't.

Jude had her phone out of her pocket before she had even made it two steps away from Tommy, and only a matter of seconds more before it was at hear ear ringing.

"Dad!" She shrieked the second it stopped ringing.

"Jude!" he tried to return the same amount of excitement.

"Oh my gosh, dad, you're not going to believe this!" She couldn't help but spin around in a circle, throwing her free hand out. She was excited and didn't know how to express it. "They loved our show!"

"Of course they did sweetheart." He laughed.

"No, dad Darius loved it! He doesn't just want an EP, he wants a full album. We got the contract!" she was trying to slow herself down, she knew that he wouldn't understand if she was going as fast as her brain wanted her to.

"What?" he asked.

"We got the contact!" Jude told him, laughing. "We did it!"

"Oh my gosh." He whispered back.

Jude knew that this was something she wanted to share with her father, this was a dream that they could both share. She had gotten her love of music and knowledge of the greatest musicians from her father. He had bought her her first guitar at a young age, and helped her get to where she was now. Even though they had gone through a lot, and as a person Jude still had a hard time looking at him, he was her father, and this was important to her.

"Jude this is amazing news." He gushed to her. "We have to do dinner to celebrate. I can cook, or maybe we can all go out."

Jude laughed, the idea of them doing dinner was funny. Family dinners, actually family time all together stopped the night he moved out of her childhood home.

"Champagne and strawberries, I think that's who kids celebrate." He told her.

"Dad." She laughed. "A BBQ would work even better, I don't actually know anyone that likes champagne, other than Sadie."

"Your sister! Have you called her yet? I'm just so proud of you. I knew that if he kept at it you would make it."

"I wanted to tell you first, I'll tell Sadie and mom the next time I talk to them." she knew that she didn't have any plans to go out of her way to let either of them know about the full album. She wasn't even sure if she had mentioned it to her mother that they had gotten signed to start with.

"You can tell her at dinner, how does 7:30 sound?" he asked.

"It sounds perfect dad, I'll see you then!" with a quick snap of her phone, the call had ended and she knew that her dad would be rushing around, telling anyone and everyone the news. The next person that she needed to let know was Kate. She had always pictured that she would call Jamie after talking to her dad, but her feelings were still hurt, and she wasn't ready to deal with him or let him bring down her great mood.


	25. Sadie vs Jude Round 1

Jude was late, which wasn't a surprise. Tristan had wanted to celebrate, and Jude had a hard time telling him no, because she also knew that she was going to have to give up her job at the coffee shop. So despite the fact that Jude had made it clear she had a family dinner at 7:30, on the other side of town, Tristan had made his famous blueberry coffee crum cake, and that was something she would be late for.

It was nearly 8 before she made it to her dads condo, swinging open the door with apologizes already pouring from her mouth. "Sorry, Tristan, and the guys, it took longer to get away than I had planned for, and I missed the bus." She would have continued, but the site of her sister, sitting at the counter, positioned, waiting for her, made her stop almost dead in her tracks.

Yes she had been expecting Sadie to be there, and in reality her apologies were more for her sister than her dad. Jude's father knew that if he said 7:30, she'd be there by 8. She was rarely on time. But the way Sadie was looking, the smile on her face, how her foot bounced in her heel.

"What'd I miss?" Jude asked slowly, as her father came in through the sliding glass door, a plate of cheese burgers in hand.

"Well, I called to invite your sister over, and she has news of her own that she wants to share." He said slowly, unsure of what Sadie would say, and if Jude had told her sister.

"News?" Jude asked raising an eyebrow at Sadie, the last time she had news was when she won a trip to Cancun, Jude could only hope this news would be along the same lines, and she could keep her album to herself.

"I got my first ever internship today!" Sadie squealed.

"Oh honey, that's great news!" Stewart said going to hug his eldest daughter. "I am so proud of you! Where is it? What will you be doing?"

"It's the most perfect thing in the world. One of my sisters helped set it up, and it's going to be perfect for us." Sadie said reaching to hold Jude's hand.

Jude could feel her stomach drop. Why would anything be perfect for either of them? Sadie had always looked out for herself. "Where at?" she asked, looking at their hands.

"G Major!"

Jude was sure she had gone deaf, and to most artists that would be terrifying through, never being along to hear a chord again. But she was wishing that it was true in that moment, she was wishing she couldn't hear and that Sadie hadn't really just said G Major.

"G Major?" Stewart asked, knowing the thoughts running through his youngest daughters mind. "Jude's label?"

"Well now it's my label too!" Sadie beamed. "One of my sisters works there now, but she is going to study abroad, and since I already know Jude, they thought I would be perfect there! This is my first real chance to get out there and see what it's like to work in business. I mean I know I'll just be answering phones and whatever, but still, it's so exciting!"

Jude said silent for a moment, watching Sadie talk about G Major like she was already a part of it somehow. But it only took a few minutes before she started to laugh, it was soft at first, then harder.

"What's so funny?" Sadie asked, hand on her hip, glaring at her sister.

"This has to be some sort of joke, like a prank the guys put you up to." Jude laughed. There was no way it would be real. None.

"Jude, honey, I don't think Sadie is joking." Stewart said placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her to a chair.

"It has to be." Jude said as her laugher started to die down. It had to be a joke right? No one would really hire her at G Major, would they?

"I get my first real job, and you're laughing about it. This is why I have sorority sisters, because they don't laugh at me!" Sadie snapped.

"You're serious?" Jude asked, looking up at her. Sadie's face had turned hard, her eyes pricing down at her. "No." Jude said standing up, pushing her father's hand away. "Sadie, that is my label, mine. What part of that don't you get? Why do you always have to go after everything I get?"

"Excuse me?" Sadie asked. "I am not going after anything that belongs to you. G Major belongs to Darius Mills."

"That's not the point Sadie! The point is, it's my label, that is where I work. You can't do this!" Jude told her. "Dad, tell her, she can't do this!"

"Sadie." Stewart looked between the two girls. If he had foreseen this happening he would have talked to them both separately, like he use to when they were children. "You need to see where Jude is coming from. She has a real chance of making a name for herself at G Major, they just got signed for a full album."

"Don't!" Sadie pointed at her father. "You always take her side, no matter what. Why can't you both just be happy for me? Mom and Don would be happy for me, they wouldn't tell me that I couldn't work there, just because of some stupid album Jude is doing."

"Don't bring mom into this!" Jude shouted at her sister. "And he's not taking my side, he just knows I'm right!"

"Don't yell!" Stewart told both girls.

"You're just doing this to meet Tommy, aren't you?" Jude asked suddenly in a calm voice as if it was all clear now. "That's what this is all about!"

"No, this is about me figuring out if this is the route I want to take with my life. We weren't all born daddies favorite." Sadie rolled her eyes. "I'm going home, to the only place I'm supported!"

"Sadie!" Stewart pleaded, but it went unheard, and the door slammed shut a second later.

"Ugh!" Jude shouted, throwing her hands up in the air. "I can't believe she is doing this! She always gets what she wants."

"You know that's not true. I try to be fair with both of you." He said as the two sat back down at the table.

Jude looked at her father with knowing eyes. "Dad, name one time that Sadie hasn't gotten what Sadie wanted."

"Well, hmm…" Stewart had to think. "Last summer, she wanted me to lease her a BMW."

"Mom did it instead." Jude sighed, bring one foot up to rest on the seat of her chair.

"Okay, well when she was little, she wanted a pony." He told her.

"And you guys bought the ranch house, next to that horse camp. Where I might add she got to go for six summers, but when I asked, you and mom said no because it was Sadie's thing." Jude was frustrated. She knew that now G Major would become Sadie's thing as well.

"If I remember correctly, you were also allergic to horses, and Sadie said it was her thing." Stewart told her, but knew that Jude had a point. "What can I do?"

"Nothing, no one can tell Sadie no." she reached for a hamburger before setting it down on the plate in front of her. "She ruined my appetite."

Stewart looked at his daughter, the pain and frustration was clear as day on her face, and it was hard for him to know that he couldn't do anything about it. "Jude, what if you don't let her take it?" he asked in almost a whisper. He didn't want to pin her children against each other, but he also didn't want to see Jude loose something that meant so much to her. "I love your sister, but we both know that she has other things on her mind."

"Yeah, my producer." She mumbled.

"Well why don't you let Sadie try it, don't go out of your way to make it easier on her, but don't make it any harder. She will get bored with it once she sees that it's not all glamorous and famous people." Stewart knew his daughters.

Jude couldn't help but smile at her father as he pulled her in for a hug.

"And on a different topic, I am so proud of you. My daughter is going to have a real album out." He laughed as he held her to him.

"Thanks dad, you're the best." Jude knew that he was right. Once Sadie saw what she wanted, and got a real taste for life at a record label she would move on to something else. It was only a matter of time, but Jude was more worried about surviving that time than her sister leaving.


	26. For the Love of Pie

Jude went home that night feeling defeated. This wasn't how she had pictured her day ending. In her mind she had seen it as being a perfect day. She was going to go to dinner, talk with her dad about the album, rub it in her sisters face, in her mind she got to be the important one was once. But her sister always seemed to have a way to bring her back down to reality, in a way she didn't much enjoy. Sure her and the band had gotten the best news possible, but knowing it would all be shared with Sadie, made it much harder to take.

Jude was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, and reply of her fight with Sadie that she didn't notice the person waiting outside her building.

"Aren't going to be able to walk around like that for much longer." The voice broke through her walls of self pity.

It was dark and she couldn't see the face, but she didn't need to, she knew the voice. Most days hearing that voice would make her smile, it would make her feel a million times better, but there was still a stand off war going on between the two.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"I heard you guys got the album deal. Kyle called me, he thought as the manager, I'd want to know." He said. "I brought banana cream pie, as a peace offering."

"Did nana make it?" Jude asked, stopping a few feet away from him. She knew that she should feel bad. Jamie was their manager, he should knew about these things, but she couldn't find it in herself to tell him.

"You think she lets me cook?" Jamie tried to laugh, the tension between the two still visible. "Jude, I'm really sorry about how I reacted to the song, and the changes." He said after a moment passed. "I just feel like I'm getting pushed to the side, and left behind now. I am the bands manager, but I seem to be the only person that remembers that."

"Our manager, seriously Jamie?" Jude was frustrated. She was still angry about Sadie, and about the fact that her father wouldn't do anything about it. So she knew that a lot of those feelings were causing her emotions now. "Jamie you're my best friend over all else, and I didn't even feel like I could call you today, because I didn't think I could count on you to be excited for us."

"I am excited for you guys!" Jamie exclaimed. "You know that I am always going to support you."

"But you didn't!" Jude told him.

"I know, and I am sorry. But Jude you've got to understand that I am not always going to like everything you do, but that doesn't mean I am not going to support you or the guys, and it doesn't mean that I'm not your best friend anymore." Jamie explained.

Jude studied his face, his nose was red from the cold, and his ears looked as though they had to hurt. He had been waiting out there for a long time. She knew that he was sorry. "Why are you standing out here?" she sighed shaking her head, waiting for him to open the door, and allow both of them into the hallway.

"I wasn't sure I would be allowed inside." Jamie half laughed, following her down the hall. "That and Kat said that you were on your way home, but that was over 20 minutes ago."

Jude laughed. She hadn't talked to Kat since she left the coffee shop a few hours ago. She knew that Kat was looking out for her, and wouldn't want to ruin today for her. If only Kat had been there to help save the day when Sadie tried to bring it crashing down, or more centered around herself. It was funny, Sadie had the power to make everything about her, even when it wasn't.

Jude could remember when their parents went through the divorce, Sadie had found a way to make her suffering from the whole thing seem more important than anything else. That was how she had gotten her car paid for after all. Jude on the other hand stepped back and watched as her parents tore each other apart.

But it was inside her apartment that she was reminded of the family that she had built outside of the Harrison craziness. Wally was filling Kyle's mouth with whipped cream while Spied watched on with a banana cream pie on his lap, the whole place filled with laugher.

"You're back!" Kat shouted, skipping over to greet Jude. "How was dinner at your dads?"

Jude smiled at her. She didn't want to think about dinner at her dads, she didn't want to think about Sadie anymore tonight. "Let's talk about it tomorrow, right now, let's eat pie!"

"If you think you're getting any of this, you're sadly mistaken!" Spied said holding up the half empty pie tin. "Nana has always liked me best, and would hate to know that you made her share this amazing pie." He hopped off the counter and backed away from her, seeing the fight in her eyes. There wasn't much Jude Harrison wouldn't do for pie.

"Hand over the pie, and you'll live to see another day!" Jude told him, slowly going forward.

In was in the midst of that fight for the pie and Jude and Speid ended up in a heap on the couch, pie in their hair, ears, and smiles on their faces. Jude was resting on his chest, his arms around her waist. Kat had been the one to snap a picture of the two, while Speid licked pie off her cheek and she laughed, unable to pull away from him.

This is how life should be, how it should be feel to be around those that love you.


	27. Meeting Miss Lowe

Hello...is anyone out there? I feel like this place has been pretty dead lately. Updates seem to be few and far between, reviews have always been hard to get, and no ones posted anything new in a long time. It makes me feel sad and lonely. I know we're all busy, but really, where is the love? Now I feel like busting out in a Black Eyed Pea song. Thanks guys.

* * *

><p>Jude's afterglow of her pie fight had a short shelf life and her happiness was washed away as she and Wally made their way into G Major the next morning, only to be greeted by Sadie.<p>

'How nice would it have been if I was an only child, or if Sadie had gone to college somewhere else?' Jude thought.

"Isn't that your sister?" Wally said to Jude, pointing at Sadie who was behind the main desk inside the door. "What's she going here?"

"She works here." Jude whispered, pushing his hand down. She didn't want to draw any more attention than she needed, but she knew that would be hard to do with Sadie around, she was the center of drama. There was no way to make this problem go away, and no way of making Sadie go away. "Please, just act like you don't know her."

Wally only nodded his head, and they made it a few feet from the reception desk before Sadie called out for Jude.

Jude stopped, and with her jaw shifted to one side of her mouth turned slowly to look at her sister. "What?" she asked.

"Can I have a word?" Sadie asked, hardly looking up from her computer screen.

"Didn't get enough in last night?" Jude mumbled, rolling her eyes as she made her way back towards her sister.

"Harrison!" Darius snapped. "That's no way to talk to the new receptionist."

"Huh?" Jude asked, holding back rolling her eyes at him as well. She intended on talking to her sister anyway she choose, and if that meant not talking to her at all, she was fine with that too.

"This is Sadie Lowe. It is her first day." Darius told Jude, whose mouth fell open at the name.

"Lowe?" she asked looking at her sister. This had to be some sort of sick joke. Lowe was their mother's new married name, Don's last name. Now Sadie was not only taking G Major from her, but she also disowned their father with the name change. She wanted to slap the smirk off her face.

"Yes." Sadie tilted her head to one side and smiled. "Thank you Darius, if I have any more questions I'll be sure to ask."

"Just remember, I don't ever answer my own phone." Darius gave her a head nod before heading towards his office, leaving the two blonds in a stare down.

"You're got to be kidding me Sadie, Lowe!" Jude said in a harsh whisper. "Do you know what that would do to dad? Not to make a pun, but that is seriously low, even for you."

"It's only for here." Sadie snapped back. "You throw such a fit over me working here, I didn't want any connection to you or your band. So I thought it would be easier to go with a different last name."

"And you just had to pick Lowe?"

"Best option I had," Sadie rolled her eyes. "So just do me a favor and act like you don't know me."

"Oh, that's going to be a real tough favor." Jude said rolling her eyes and turning back towards Wally who looked unsure of what was happening between the two sister.

"Have a nice day Ms Harrison." Sadie called after her, with a bite in her tone.

"Oh you too Ms. Lowe." Jude shot over her shoulder. "We don't know her, at all." Jude informed Wally, as they fell back into step together, headed towards the studio. "She's such a bitch."

"Lowe?" Wally asked. "That's below the belt."

"You're telling me," Jude sighed. "Do me a favor and call Kyle and Speid, give them a heads up about Ms. Lowe."

"Sure thing." Wally said going into the studio while Jude continued on her way, down the hallway towards Tommy's office.

She found him sitting in his chair, his feet up on the desk with the red string candy hanging from his mouth.

"Addicted much?" Jude laughed, coming in a sitting on the edge of his desk like she had done before, using her foot to push his chair making him spin side to side a little.

"The first tastes always free." Tommy said offering her the candy, trying to use a creepy sounding voice.

"No thanks." Jude smiled, pushing his chair harder this time, making his feet fall from the desk with a thud, while he jerked forward.

"So you're here early, I was sure you guys would all be late today." Tommy commented.

"Wally came to pick up something, and Kyle is in class. Speid was still sleeping when I left." Jude informed him. "Last night was pretty low key, dinner with my dad, and then just hanging out at home."

"That's how you celebrate getting a full album deal?" Tommy asked rising an eyebrow at the girl. He had figured them to be more of a party group.

"Well yeah," Jude shrugged. "Why?"

"I pictured you guys going out, partying until dawn, drunk, hookers, drugs, the whole nine yards. Isn't that how rock stars do it these days?"

"I don't know, you were a pop star not too long ago, you tell me." Jude wanted to laugh at him. "We live in a loft apartment, it's not like we can really afford to go out and blow our money on stupid shit."

"Oh heavens, did you just curse!" Tommy asked, pretend shock on his face. "Someone call her parents!"

"I've said way worse." Jude rolled her eyes, playfully hitting him in the arm. "Look I came by to see what was next for us."

"What do you mean?"

"Well we've already got that one song down, I wanted to see which one you wanted to work on next." Jude told him. "I figured that you would want to rip apart whatever song comes next."

"Why do you say it like that?" Tommy asked.

"I don't mean it in a bad way. Don't take everything so personally." Jude gave him a quick smile before hopping off the desk. "I brought something with me, thought you might like to look it over." She held up her journal as she walked backwards to the door.

There was something about the way she stood in his door frame that drove him nutty. Was it the way she moved her hips when she walked? Maybe the way she licked her lips and bit down on the bottom one just a little, but she had seemed to perfect getting him to do anything she wanted. He took the bait and jumped from his seat, leaving everything else behind to follow her.


	28. Banter

It's a new month, and I feel the need for some banter. I'm sure the rest of you can agree with that. But I'm posting this with the hopes that you will review, or send me a message with where you'd like to see this story go, and I mean other than Tommy and Jude being together. I've been stuck for a long time, which is why the updates are so few and far between! Help me out here my faithful readers!

* * *

><p>An album meant more songs, which was scary for Jude to turn over her journal like that. She knew that Tommy would have full range then to read about her secret words and memories. He was looking at words that no one else had, even Speid.<p>

"Say something." She whispered from the swivel chair.

All Tommy did was nod his head, looking over the pages, slowly, as though it didn't know it was torture to her.

It was agonizing for Jude to sit there and watch him, the seconds quickly turning into minutes, as time crept by. When Jude was ready to give up all hope, his head finally rose, slowly, his eyes still scanning a page.

"Wow." He breathed out in a whisper.

"Wow?" she questioned. She couldn't tell if that was a good wow or a bad wow. But the second his eyes landed on her she knew, she could feel it.

"You've got the start to some really power full things here Jude." Tommy told her, handing her back the worn journal.

Jude quickly snatched it from his hands, feeling her fingers tingle where they touched his. Her journal was like her life line, it held every thought, every moment in time, every line of music she had written. It was old, falling apart, and full, but it was hers.

"When was the last time you finished a song?" he wondered.

Jude had to think about it, it wasn't an everyday question for her. "I finish songs all the time." Jude told him, handing him a spiral note book she had taken from Jamie, one that was filled with just as many songs.

"No, I mean from there, when was the last time you finished one of those songs." Tommy said nodding back to the journal Jude had guarded, close to her chest.

Now she understood, these songs were different, this songs were her real music. "Umm, I don't know." She looked down at its tattered cover. "I guess after I graduated, when Speid and I…" she trailed off not wanting to say the word.

Tommy nodded. "What is the deal with that?" he couldn't help but ask. There were some pretty good love like songs that had been finished, ones that came before There's Us, the one song Tommy recognized.

Jude bite down on her lip. Did she know Tommy enough to talk about this? In some strange way it felt like she had always known him, like he had always been apart of her life, she had just forgotten. She chose to use the clean version of the story. "He was ready for things I wasn't."

"Yeah, I don't see you as being one for peer pressure." He laughed.

"I'm serious okay. We'd been together for two years, and he wanted more than I was willing to give." Jude shot him a look, unsure of why she was able to share so much with him so quickly.

Tommy could see the anger in her eyes, her fear and her honesty. These were real emotions, something he wasn't use to, something that most people in this industry didn't have. He stood up, and leaned on the soundboard in front of her, her legs between his. He was almost sure that he could see her eyes twinkle with tears, as he reached to lift her chin up. "Hey, don't ever let anyone pressure you into something you're not ready for." He whispered, enjoying the warm feeling of her skin.

Jude had to swallow hard to regain thought. It was moments like this that had blurred the line in the right place. "If I didn't give into pressure, I wouldn't be sitting here." She whispered back, her eyes locked on his lips, knowing that he was watching her just as intensely. She couldn't help but bite on her lower lip as the pad of his thumb gently circled her cheek, brushing the corners of her mouth.

"Maybe not all pressure is bad." He smiled.

She could feel herself leaning more and more into his hand, loving the way his hands felt on her face, the way it made her feel light everywhere. But all it took was the vibration of her phone on the soundboard to bring them back to reality.

Tommy pulled his hand away quickly, looking down at her phone, wanting to curse whoever was calling her.

"Hello?" Jude said answering her phone, keeping her eyes on the ground. She couldn't look at him, and that was okay. She needed to try and concentrate on the person on the other end of the phone. "Kat!" She had completely forgotten about the fashion show. She had told Wally and Kyle to remind her, but she should have known better than to count on them. In a panic she looked around the room, knocking knees with Tommy. "Ouch, shoot." She huffed, rubbing her knee.

Tommy rubbed the spot where they hit, his eyes watching her closely. It was hard for him to picture her having a life outside of the studio or the coffee shop. Those were the only two places he had seen her, and know, hearing her say a strange name, and talk about something not related to music made her seem like someone he didn't know at all. It was easy to forget that people had a life outside of the studio, away from each other.

"You know me too well." Jude laughed as she gathered her things back up. "I'll be there on the next bus, I swear." She laughed before hanging up. "Sorry, I forgot about my friends fashion show, I promised I'd model for her." She explained to Tommy.

"You, model?" Tommy laughed.

With a hand on each hip Jude stared up at him. "Yeah, what's so funny about that?" she asked. "Some people do find me attractive."

"You sure it's not just the blind?" Tommy joked, following her out of the studio and into the main lobby.

"At least I won't be all 'Look at me, I'm Little Tommy Q and my parachute pants are just so shiny.'" Jude had learned enough over the weeks on how to joke with Tommy, although she had never heard anyone else attempt to call him Little Tommy Q.

"Okay, okay." Tommy said, between breathes, "Point made." He followed her until they reached the back door of G Major. "You need a ride Harrison?" He knew that she took the bus everywhere.

"No, it's only a few buses and I'll be there." Jude smiled at him, looking down at her phone, she'd have to hurry to make the bus, and then wait for the connecter.

"You're already late," Tommy said. He wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"I'm always late, what's the difference?" Jude asked.

"It's a ride Jude, do you always have to be this difficult?" he asked, almost tired of asking.

"Fine, but you can't come in, or stay." Jude said pointing up at him. "The attention needs to be on Kat's clothes, not you."

"I would never dream of drawing attention." Tommy laughed as they made it outside and he directed her towards his car.

"Right, because why would you want any attention?" Jude laughed getting in the blue viper she remembered from the first time he dragged her away from the coffee shop. She wasn't sure if it was right to accept his offer, but she also knew that if she was much later, Kat's show would be over.


	29. Runaway Break Up

I agree, this story is dragging on way to long. I can't believe it's almost been a year since I posted it, and it's still not done. That was never my intention. But I have set a goal, I will write the ending before that year is up, and get the whole thing posted. So keep the ideas coming, and I'll go back and rewatch the show. In case you couldn't tell I was trying to follow along with the show.

* * *

><p>"Jude!" Kat bellowed as she rushed through the door, the music on the other side was loud enough that she wouldn't be heard by the audience.<p>

"Sorry, I'm so sorry." Jude said, quickly pulling her shirt over her head. This wasn't the first time she had modeled for Kat, and it wasn't the first time she had stripped down in front of the people around them. Two years ago she would have been to embarrassed and modest to do such a thing, but after the first few times of being in one of Kat's shows, it didn't seem to faze her anymore, that and she lived with three guys. She tossed her shirt into a chair, as she headed back towards the makeshift changing room, kicking her shoes off on the way.

Kat and Molly were hot on her tail, Kat with the dress and Molly with a brush.

"You're so lucky I love you." Kat laughed, as her friend finished taking her clothes off. She was quick to help her into a different bra, and then the dress. Kat had used Jude for her perfectly simple figure, it had been what had inspired her whole line, something for the real women.

"Why is your hair always so difficult?" Molly sighed, trying to run a comb through it.

"Maybe because it's mine?" Jude laughed. She had heard all the jokes there could be about her hair, it was something she was use to. It was to thin, to limp, to short, to long, to blond, to shiny, it never did what they wanted it to do, but she didn't mind.

"Leave it simple, I want it focus on the dress, not her head." Kat sighed, pushing the curtain back. "Why were you late?" she asked, messing with a tie on the side of Jude's dress.

"That would be my fault." A male voice said, making everyone look up. Tommy Quincy stood just outside the makeshift dressing room with a smug smile on his face, and Jude's bag in his hand. "You forgot this."

"Sorry." Jude said rushing forward to take it from him. She wanted to slap him for following her in there; this was the type of attention she wanted to avoid. Everyone back stage should have been working, running around sending the next person out, doing touch ups. She had seen enough of these to know how it worked, the school fashion shows were always crazy. But now, everyone was looking at them, their eyes following the two.

"You-he-hi." Kat pointed at the man, then her friend, shaking her head.

"Thank you." Jude said, taking a hand full of material, to keep from stepping on the dress, in one hand, and Tommy's arm in another. She guided him back away from everyone, towards the exit and didn't stop until she heard someone say get back to work. "I said you couldn't come, remember?"

"I thought you would need your bag." Tommy told her innocently. He had dropped her off and then found a parking spot, wanting to see her model. He had followed her backstage, and had been shocked to watch her start stripping down as she came in. Even though all he saw was her shoulder blades, it made him want to see more of her creamy white skin.

"And coming back here, that's the way to return it." Jude rolled her eyes. She could see Molly waiting behind them, needing to fix her hair and makeup. "Well you've returned it, you can go now." She couldn't help but laugh.

Tommy gave her a soft smile before looking her up and down. He leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "You look stunning in that dress, but I think you looked better when you were taking your shirt off."

Jude could feel her breath catch in her throat, but she reacted quickly and pushed him back, rolling her eyes as he laughed. "Don't make me tell your girlfriend you're stalking me." She told him before turning around.

Tommy flinched at her usage of the word, but could say nothing because she was being pulled into a chair, with people surrounding her the second she sat down.

"That was Little Tommy Q!" Molly said in awe, staring at Jude in the mirror.

"Yeah, he's producing my album." She sighed, and tried to smile when Kat joined them. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Kat asked. "You realize that you're going to be the most sought after person on campus now! I mean seriously, Little Tommy Q just showed up for you."

"I didn't want him to take the spot light away from your clothes." Jude told her. Her Jude's mind Tommy showing up was nothing but bad news.

"Oh honey, he just put the spot light right on me!" Kat said hugging her friend from behind. "Everyone is talking about him, and he was only here for 30 seconds. I am going to be the most talked about one tonight because of that. Thank you so much! You can be late anytime you want."

Jude laughed as she friend hugged her.

"But if you fall, I'll kill you." Kat said turning more serious again. "Now get her ready, she goes on in ten minutes. Your other clothes are in the dressing room with my name, after you walk, go right there."

"Got it boss lady!" Jude said giving her friend a salute. She was glad that something good had come out of Tommy showing up, because she wasn't sure what to make his comment. It was so easy for them to blur the lines between them, to go from joking, to flirting, or fighting to holding back the urge to kiss him. It was hard to remember where they stood with each other, but easy when Karma was in the picture.

ISISISISIS

Tommy stood in the back, and watched as the show started. He knew that he should have left, he had plans to meet Karma that night for dinner, but he wanted to see Jude model, to see how she would walk in a dress and heels, something he had never seen her in in the weeks he had known her. She didn't come across as a girly girl, but seeing her in the dress backstage, it was hard to think that she would wear anything else.

And seeing her the three times she walked down, full of confidence made him more aware of the fact that she was a woman. The last dress she came out in was stunning on her, almost like it was made for her. The silver color seemed to make her glow, and it was cut low enough to make Tommy react to seeing her, but the reaction was enough to remind him that he shouldn't be there.

"Kwest." Tommy sighed into his phone as he left the college campus. "You want to meet up for drinks?"

"I thought you had that dinner with Karma tonight." Kwest laughed. Tommy had been back a mere six weeks before Karma has snaked her way onto his arm.

"Yeah, not really up for a full blown dinner with her right now." Tommy sighed. He was still mad at her about the whole Jude album thing, and they hadn't really spoken much since then. Tonight was suppose to be the night they talked, worked things out or broke them off.

"Yeah man, I hear you." Kwest knew the way his best friend worked, and he had seen this coming long before he did. "Let's meet up, I'm still at the studio."

"Yeah I need to come by and close some things up there. I'll see you in ten." Tommy told him.

"Wait man, when did you even leave?" Kwest asked. The last time he had seen Tommy her and Jude were locked in the studio together going over what he guess were songs.

"About an hour ago, Jude needed a ride." Tommy sighed.

"Of course she did." Kwest laughed.

"What's that mean?" Tommy asked.

"It means I can't even score shot gun in your ride, and here you are, running her around."

"She was late because of me, I couldn't just let her take the bus." Tommy defended his actions.

"Right. See you when you get here man."

Once in his car, he made another phone call, one that he knew would put him in the mood to drink.

"Tommy, where are you, you're late!" Karma didn't bother with hellos, that was past them.

"I'm also not coming." Tommy told her. "Something came up, I was busy."

"But you said we'd talk." Karma whined. "You can't keep putting this off, we need to figure this out."

"I don't want to talk Karma, what you did was wrong, and using Jude like that, it's not cool. You can't cross the lines between work and our relationship, and you don't seem to get that, ever. I just don't see how things can keep going this way, they aren't working."

"Are you seriously breaking up with me over the phone?" Karma asked. "God, how is this going to look in the front page next week."

"It's no one's business how we end things." Tommy sighed. Being in the public was all that Karma cared about, and being with someone was all Tommy had wanted from her. "Spin the story whatever way you want, but we're done." As he said the worlds he couldn't' help but smile, Jude wouldn't be able to tell him he had a girlfriend anymore.

"You don't get to do this!" Karma yelled, her voice filling his car. "I get to break up with you, I get to leave your sorry ass!"

"Bye." Tommy rolled his eyes one last time before hitting the end button on his steering wheel. That was one else drama filled nightmare he wouldn't want to deal with now.


	30. Running Back

"Sing this one." Tommy said throwing the open journal onto the soundboard in front of Jude. There was something about the words, that made him want to hear her voice, how she put it together, the way it sounded in her head.

"What?" Jude laughed picking up the journal. Just a few minutes ago they had been talking about something not related to music, something so unimportant that his request seemed out of the blue. She looked down at the page and saw an old picture of her childhood home. She had started writing the song after her high school graduation, but it really took form when she was travelling and visiting her mom.

"Please." He asked, seeing her hesitate.

Jude smiled at him and reached for the guitar leaning on the wall next to the soundboard. "Only cause you asked so nicely." She told him.

_The phone is off the hook  
>and Jimmy's got a gun.<br>Sherry's in the river  
>and the river's gonna run again<em>

_Ohh ohh yeah_

_So you don't know where to go  
>you don't know where to hide<br>Holding all your tears,  
>keeping all your pain inside<em>

_With your back against the wall  
>heart falling from your hand<br>You throw it in the river  
>and the river is gonna hide it again<em>

_But you are not alone  
>When you're not safe at home<em>

_And you're running back running back  
>While you're off track<br>looking for a hope,  
>or a house to call your own.<br>You need a phone  
>You feel all alone<br>You don't know where to start While your falling apart  
>You need someone to hold<br>Your hands are cold  
>You feel a little older<br>You need to shoulder, all alone  
>But you're not alone<em>

_What they will believe,  
>and if you want to change<br>how it's meant to be  
>Even if they think you're strange.<em>

_Oh you want to live a life,  
>You need to breakaway<br>Counting on your hands the days you have left to play_

_But you are not alone  
>When you're not safe at home<em>

_And you're running back, Running back  
>While you're off track<br>Looking for a hope,  
>or a house to call your own.<br>You need a phone  
>you feel all alone<br>You don't know where to stop  
>While you're falling apart<br>You need someone to hold  
>Your hands are cold<br>You feel a little older  
>You need to shoulder,<br>All Alone  
>But you're not alone<em>

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah  
>I know you can make it<br>Just try not to fake it  
>Oh don't give up<br>Don't give up_

_You're running back, running back  
>While you're off track<br>Looking for a hope,  
>or a house to call your own.<br>You need a phone  
>You feel all alone<br>You don't know where to stop  
>While you're falling apart<br>You need someone to hold  
>Your hands are cold<br>You feel a little older  
>You need to shoulder, all alone<br>But you're not alone_

Her voice was soft, her mind digging up memories. The song was about the time that she felt homeless. Her mother had run off with the divorce lawyer, her dad lived across town with a new girlfriend, Sadie was away at college, and she didn't have a lot of options. Growing up she had always thought that her home, her childhood home, would always be her home, but the second that it wasn't anymore she didn't know what to do.

"Tell me about it." Tommy whispered, when she was done. He could tell that there was a story that went along with this song, one that he wanted to know.

Jude squinted up at the light, trying to clear her thoughts, put them all in the right order,, Her fingers slowly moving along the strings, but being careful not to make any sounds. "I guess it's about that moment you go from being a kid to an adult." She told him but could instantly tell he wanted more, he wanted details. "When I was about 17 my dad admitted to having an affair." She whispered, slowly looking back down at Tommy, but found she couldn't, and looked down towards her shoes. "So naturally my parents divorced, it was really hard on my mom, on all of us. Then I guess my mom fell in love with the divorce lawyer, Don." She said the name with such fake disgust it made Tommy laugh and her smile. "They moved to France my senior year of school. I hadn't talked to my dad since he moved out, and without warning, my mom sold our house, my home." Jude whispered, looking back at the picture. She loved that house, everything about it. "So there I was, barely 18, homeless, and totally lost."

"It's good." Tommy smiled at her after a long pause of silence. He needed to take in every word she spoke, try to see it from her point of view, understand her feelings.

"But…" Jude smiled at him, waiting to know what he wanted to change about the song. It wasn't that simple with him. He needed everything to be perfect, and she was sure that this song, written years ago, would have imperfections.

"No buts, I like it. Let's keep it." He smiled at her, reaching for the journal again. He wanted to see what other songs he could get out of her.

"Tommy, this is something that I need to be doing with the guys." Jude laughed. She knew that he wanted to start getting a lineup of songs for an album, but she had always pictured Speid, Wally, and Kyle being there.

"You want them going through this?" Tommy asked, holding up her journal.

Jude chewed on the inside of her cheek, arms crossed, watching Tommy. "They've seen everything in there." She told him. She didn't keep secrets from them, it was too hard. "I live with them, remember?" Maybe she didn't know for sure if they had seen everything, but she knew better than to think they hadn't looked in it before. Privacy wasn't something they seemed to understand.

"Right," Tommy nodded, but his attention caught by another song, trying to picture the way her voice would make it sound, and the story behind the song. He could tell that the words were deep, and it wasn't a happy song. "What about this one?" he asked, looking up at her.

"Which one?" Jude asked back, reaching for the book. It had taken a lot of courage for her to be able to give it to him so freely. As she looked at the page she knew which song it was. She could tell by the little ripples in the paper from tears. They dotted the page in no order, and smeared the writing in a few places. This song was personal. She quickly closed the book and shook her head. "Not today Quincy."

"Okay." Tommy could tell that there was something more to that song, something that he wasn't sure he wanted to uncover. "Why don't we call it a day?"

She nodded her head in agreement. "I've got a meeting with D anyways, something about a photo shoot."

"Yeah," Tommy nodded, watching as she packed up her things. "He wants to put you guys on the cover on Solid as soon as we get a single out." He knew that this would cheer her back up, put the light back in her eyes that he liked so much.

Jude gave a heavy sigh and stood up from her chair. She glanced around the room before responding to Tommy's statement about Solid. "Doesn't that seem odd?" She asked looking down at him with a quizzically look. "The contracts for our full album haven't even been processed yet, and we're doing a cover." She shook her head. She wanted to be excited, and she was sure she would be the moment Darius told her.

"D gets what he wants, and he wants you guys out there making him money." Tommy told her. "Now hurry up and get to your meeting, he doesn't need another excuse to chew my ass out."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Jude gave him a soft smile before leaving the small space. She was sure that he had other songs he needed to listen to, other artists that needed his attention.


	31. Sharing a secret

**AN: I've become one of 'those' people. The one that doesn't update, that fizzled out. The story lost interest, I lost my way. I went back a read it and I loved the start, it was great, funny, but you could tell I just stopped loving it after awhile. So until farther notice, I'm putting a hold on this story. Veronica Mars has taken over my mind, and preschool. I'm sorry. I've let you as readers down, and myself down even more. But there is hope that I will finish the story. I had intended for it to follow the show somewhat. Maybe I'll have time to rewatch it once winter vacation is here. Again, I'm so so so so so so sorry!  
><strong>

The meeting about the cover was standard, not something Darius actually needed Jude, or any of the other band members for, but she sat there and listened anyways. They talked over the idea for the shoot, the time they could fit it in, where it would be, what they would wear, who would do make up, what type of bottled water the photographer wanted on set. Everything, and nothing, never asking for input or pausing long enough to hear any of Jude's ideas or suggestions. But as Jude was getting up from her seat Darius finally seemed to notice her.

"Hold it." He put his hand out motioning for her to sit back down. "My nephew has a break in his tour coming up." She couldn't see what this had to do with her. "And because you're new to the G Major family, I wanted to make sure that you know that he's going to be here, working in the studio with our top producers."

Jude started to open her mouth to say something, but Darius, without looking up at her, motioned for her not to. Tommy had mentioned that they would be taking some time off, or that he was going to be working with someone else.

"You guys will be working in studio C." that was final. She could tell in his voice he didn't have more to say. But as she started to rise from her seat, he looked up at her. "And make sure you tell your boys to behave. I've got a limited amount of time to get this next single down, and I don't want any problems because of them."

"I'll stress that point to all them, separately and together." Jude nodded before leaving his office. Darius always made her feel like some type of babysitter. She knew that they could be hard to handle sometimes, they were like children, always hyped up on sugar and junk food. But why was it always her responsibility to manage them, and watch after them? she was the singer, she was part of the group, not Speid's mom.

"How'd the meeting go?" Mason Fox asked as Jude approached him in the hospitality area.

Jude looked back over her shoulder at Darius's door, needing to make sure she had just walked out of the right place. She wasn't sure that she would have called it a meeting, but she knew what it looked like, coming from that office. "Interesting." Jude sighed, plopping down on the opposite end of the couch as Mason.

"So then I take it you heard the news about Shay." Mason chuckled.

"Shay?" Jude asked, trying to process why she knew that name, and how it connected to Darius. She knew that her hair color matched her personality sometimes. She couldn't help but hit herself upside the head. "S to the H to the A to the Y." she laughed. "Shay is his nephew, of course."

"And with the return of Shay, will be the return of the Evil Queen herself." Mason said looking towards Eden's picture.

Jude could feel the lump rise in her throat. After Karma black mailed her, her and Speid agreed to talk to the necessary people, Tommy, Kwest, Darius, and a few others about who Jude was. But Jude had hoped she would never return and this moment would never present itself.

"The way your face drains when someone says her name, it's like a magic trick." Mason laughed at her.

"Sorry." Jude whispered, putting her hands on her cheeks, feeling them turn red from embarrassment. "I guess I'm more terrified of her than I thought."

"Well you're wise to be scared of Eden, anyone that enjoys being able to hear fears her. I swear when she screams it could break a glass." He was trying to make a joke, one that fell on def ears though because Jude was trying to run through conservations in her head.

"Hey, red!" Mason said waving a hand in front of her face.

"What did you just call me?" Jude asked, instantly hearing him now. She knew that the guys called her that, but she could still remember Eden calling her that so many years ago.

"You're face is as red as a lollipop." Mason told her. "What's going on with you, that's not a thinking about a song look."

"Let me see your phone." Jude said scooting over closer to him, her hand extended waiting for the small box. She knew that Mason watched her carefully as she fiddled with his phone, pulling up the internet and quickly typing in Instant Star Season 1. "Here." She handed it back to him as a video started to play.

The quality was bad, the scene old. It was a video Mason had seen over and over, a video Eden liked to share with every new Instant Star winner. She said this was the moment that held them all together. But this time, he watched more closely, looking at the red headed girl sitting on a stool, the one who so famously choked in the finale. "Oh my gosh." He whispered looking back up at Jude.

"That'd be me." Jude nodded looking down at the video of her when she was only 15.

"You were a shoe in too." Mason shook his head remembering that season clearly. The girl who choked had done so well. Her voice was original and fresh, nothing like the label had at the moment, and it was what they needed, but she choked and it was played off to her being too young. "So what are you going to do?"

"No clue, any ideas?" Jude sighed falling back into a laying position on the couch.

"I wouldn't sweat it too much. Eden's so self absorbed she hardly has time to notice anything that doesn't affect her."

"Yeah?" Jude asked, pushing herself back up to look at him.

"Yeah, you'll be fine." He assured her.

"Thanks Mason," Jude smiled as she watched him stand up and left her alone on the couch. Even though she hadn't spent much time with everyone at G Major she was sure that Mason was one of the few people she would actually want to be friends with outside of the label. He was a good guy, down to earth and always friendly.


End file.
